‘Outgoing Zilla Parishad board focused on agro-based industries’
BALURGHAT: A host of development projects have been completed by South Dinajpur Zilla Parishad (SDZP) during the five-year-term of the board.
Outgoing Sabhadhipati of the TMC led SDZP Lipika Roy said: “Keeping in mind the limitations of setting up large-scale industries here, we had concentrated on agro-based small scale industries including paddy and jute mills. Several hatcheries and agriculture-farms were established. Many unemployed youths were also absorbed through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.”
Speaking about taking steps regarding flood control measures, Roy said: “We have constructed bridges in order to control the excess water of Atreyee and Punarbhaba during the rainy season covering the areas of Gangarampur and Kumarganj. It had been a joint venture with the district Irrigation department. Three of such bridges have been constructed so far.”
According to her, the outgoing board had constructed a number of roads in rural areas. “Around 500 km of new roads have been constructed and 200 km of roads were repaired in all eight blocks of the district. Apart from this, construction of roads along with repairing of damaged roads under Pathasree-Rastasree projects has been undertaken,” she stated. She said the outgoing board had taken up several initiatives for the development of rural health service.“With the help of the district Health department, we have constructed new buildings in all eight blocks of the district. We had provided two DDT-spray-machines in each of 64 Gram Panchayats. Mosquito-nets were given to people in order to curb vector-borne diseases,” she said.
She said that the board had constructed boundary-walls, provided drinking water facilities and other necessities to the rural schools. Speaking about providing the drinking water in rural areas, Roy said: “We provided piped drinking water to the villagers. We have set up Water-ATM machines for the village people and many water-reservoirs have come up. Apart from this, solar-lamps have been set up in roads of rural areas.”
