Final Sixth Five-year Plan by June
127 projects to revamp railway
Prime minister tells House
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks at the eighth session of the ninth parliament at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the city yesterday.Photo: STAR
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government has proposed 127 projects of around Tk 43,500 crore in the sixth five-year plan to revamp the country's railway by expanding its network and purchasing huge number of passenger coaches. In response to lawmakers' queries in the parliament, she said the sixth five-year plan (2011-2015) will be finalised by June this year and the seventh five-year plan (2015-2020) will be prepared then. Under the sixth five-year plan, the premier said, different development projects will be implemented to renovate the railway's domestic, regional, and international networks. New 689-kilometre rail-tracks will be constructed under this five-year plan, she said. She added that rehabilitation works of railways will be completed by 2012 and purchasing of 130 locomotives, 539 cars, and 500 tanks and flat wagons will be completed by 2013. The premier also described her government's ongoing measures to strengthen the railway sector which is now in a sorry state due to negligence of successive governments. While replying to queries on power sector, Hasina also told the House about her government's various measures to generate power to meet the growing demands. She said commissioning of country's first nuclear power plant at Ruppur will be completed by 2017 to generate 1000MW power if the works go in accordance with the plan. Besides, another nuclear power plant will be set up at Ruppur by 2018 to generate 1000MW power, she said, adding that her government is working to prepare a master plan for setting up power plants based on coal, furnace oil, diesel, nuclear, gas etc. On publishing white paper on alleged corruption in power sector during the past BNP-led alliance government, Hasina said a parliamentary sub-committee is working to detect irregularities and corruption in the power sector. “The four-member sub-committee formed by the parliamentary standing committee on the power energy and mineral resources ministry will submit its report soon. Necessary actions will be taken after scrutinising of the findings of the report.” The prime minister said her government has so far signed 35 agreements during the last two years to generate 3158MW electricity in public and private sector. Of the 35, five power stations with capacity to produce 410MW have already gone on production and rest of stations is under construction, she added. “Besides procurement activities are going on to set up 27 more power stations to generate 4,078MW electricity.” She added that 500MW power will be imported from India by 2012. In response to a query on country's gas reserve, she alleged that her party could not come to power in 2001 parliamentary election, as they did not agree to export gas. “At that time, it was said there was huge reserve of gas, but now we see the real picture is different.” The premier also blasted the past BNP-led coalition government for their alleged corruption and politicisation in administration. She said the main opposition BNP has been spreading propaganda against her government that she had promised before the last parliamentary election to bring price of rice to Tk10. “They uploaded in You Tube a video footage of one of my speeches I delivered in 1996 parliamentary elections. At that time, I pledged to keep the price of rice at Tk 10. Showing that footage, they are now misleading people.” Hasina also told the House about her government measures to boost up export, garment sector, investment, and tourism.
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