Palli Bidyut's negligence at Kuakata tourist towm
Manjur Morshed Tuhin, Patuakhali
The Kuakata Tourism Center, which officially started its journey in 1998, was declared a municipality by the government in 2010.
With the aim of forming an aesthetic municipality and tourism town , wide roads, bus stands, residential and food hotels, along with administrative security, are being built in a well-planned manner. Although all government departments are working tirelessly to make the tourism city aesthetic, there is apathy in the activities of the Rural Electricity Association.
It is learnt that after the fall of the government, most of the roads in the city are being built very beautifully in order to attract more attention from tourists, in the plan of the new municipal administrator, to make Kuakata traffic-free and aesthetic, but the unplanned installation of rural electricity poles has become a headache for the tourism city.
On March 13, the Kuakata Municipal Administration requested Palli Bidyut to remove 5 rural electricity poles located between the LGED Rest House in Ward No. 7 of Kuakata Municipality and Head Bangla Road, but the Palli Bidyut authority did not respond to that letter or take any effective steps to repair the poles.
It is also learnt that despite the fact that there was sufficient space on both sides of the 15 to 20 feet road on the eve of the opening of the tourist city, the electrical poles were installed through an unplanned plan of Palli Vidyut. During the urban development work, public representatives at different times requested the authorities to remove the rural electricity poles. But the authorities never took it into account, citing the high cost of repairing the poles. At present, despite the planned construction of roads and drains, the electrical poles remain in their original places, which is now causing public suffering and obstructing vehicle movement. Recently, several accidents have occurred due to collision with the poles.
Local businessman Shahidul Islam said, "Vans are often parked along rural electricity poles, making it very difficult to move on the road. A few days ago, a tourist's leg was broken in a motorcycle accident due to these poles."
A field inspection showed that there are at least 15 rural electricity poles within a three-kilometer radius of three important roads in Kuakata. Vehicles plying on the on-way carpeted roads move very carefully and slowly past the electric poles. New residential hotels are being built on both sides of the road. If the electric poles are not removed now, the residents of the tourist city will face extreme inconvenience in the near future.
Kuakata Municipal Administrator Yasin Sadek said, "New steps are being taken to make the tourist city of Kuakata Municipality more aesthetic. The electric poles on the roads are a thorn in the side of the municipality. We have already informed the Rural Electricity Association to remove the poles." They will take effective steps and help build an aesthetic municipality.
Patuakhali Rural Electricity Association GM Md. Abul Kashem said, "After receiving a letter from Kuakata Municipality, we sent them a letter with an estimate, but they have not deposited any money, so we are unable to provide any help. If they absolutely do not have the funds, then we will inform the higher authorities when they give me a letter."
