Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on Thursday said the government has formulated a 20-year Master Plan for the development of the country's railway system.
"We've formulated a 20-year Railway Master Plan in the course of which Tk 2 lakh 33 thousand 946 will be spent for implementation of 235 projects," he told Parliament while deliver his budget speech.
Some of the important projects include construction and reconstruction of Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Gundum, Kalukhali-Bhatiapara-Gopalganj-Tungipara, Pachuria-Faridpur-Bhannga, Ishwardi-Pabna-Dhalarchar and Khulna-Mongla new rail lines, Muhith said.
The budgetary allocation has also been increased for the country's railway sector for the upcoming fiscal.
An amount of Tk 5650 crore has been allocated for the Railways Ministry in the proposed budget for 2015-'16 fiscal. But the allocation was Tk 3450 crore in the revised budget of the outgoing fiscal of 2014-'15, while it was Tk 4485 crore in original budget of 2014-'15 fiscal.
The Finance Minister said the government has adopted strategies to revitalise the railway system and taken initiatives to make the full use of resources already invested in the railway sector.
The government will bring Meherpur district under the railway network, launch rail service over the Padma Bridge, construct a rail bridge on the northern side of the Bangabandhu Bridge on the Jumna River, construct 3rd and 4th dual-gauge lines in the Dhaka-Tongi and dual-gauge double line in the Tongi-Joydevpur sections, and construct a parallel dual-gauge line along the existing meter-gauge line of Dhaka-Narayanganj section, Muhith noted.
Besides, Akhaura-Agartola rail connectivity will be established as part of expanding the regional rail network, he told the House.    ?UNB