Staff Reporter:
Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has said the government is working to ensure the rapid implementation of the Teesta Master Plan.
The minister made the remarks during a visit to the River Teesta and an exchange meeting with local stakeholders in Lalmonirhat on Friday, according to a press release issued by the ministry.
Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu and State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad were also present during the visit.
“The government is committed to public welfare, and extensive assessments are being conducted to ensure that people living along the Teesta River receive maximum benefits from the project,” Anee said.
He said the government wanted to begin implementation only after completing all necessary evaluations to ensure the project delivers the greatest possible benefits for the country and its people.
The minister said the government was proceeding with the project cautiously so that residents of the Teesta basin could enjoy long-term benefits.
He further said the government believed in action rather than words. He noted that the Padma Barrage Project had already been approved and that the canal excavation initiative introduced by former president Ziaur Rahman had been revived.
He also announced plans to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of rivers, canals and water bodies across the country over the next five years.
State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad said the ministry had sought opinions from both domestic and international experts regarding the Teesta Master Plan.
“Once the ongoing evaluations are completed, the ministry is expected to place the project before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC),” he said.
