Digital land survey project extended

The government has extended the two-year land survey digitisation project by two more years and raised the allocation for it.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), government’s top forum on financial matters, approved the ‘Land Survey, Record Formulation and Preservation through Digitised System’ project at a meeting on Tuesday.

Now the project will end in June, 2016 and will cost Tk 927.7 million during the four-year period -- around 66 percent up from Tk 559.8 million approved in 2012 for two years.

The ECNEC meeting, held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, approved two other projects involving another Tk 1.77 billion.

After the meeting Planning Minister AHM Mustofa Kamal told reporters the three projects would be implemented with fund from the national exchequer.

Under the land survey digitisation project, ledgers would be prepared for around 40 million pieces of land in 55 districts. Entry of data and their preservation will be done through digitisation method.

The minister said the project would facilitate easy preservation of the ledgers and their distribution to land owners.

Documents of the project said its cost rose as the implementation time increased.

The two other projects given go-ahead are: Signboard-Morelganj-Rayenda-Sharankhola-Bogi Road and 40 Feet Long Air Breathing and Gas Fired Fire Fighting Training Gallery and Collecting Fire Fighting Rescue Equipment projects.

The Tk 1.23-billion road project is aimed at developing the road into a regional highway for better communications.

Roads and Highways Department will implement the project by June, 2016.

Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence department will implement the other project involving Tk 543.5 million by June, 2016.

Ministers, state ministers, secretaries and officials concerned were present in the meeting.