The Road Transport and Highways Division has drafted a new land management policy – the first of its kind – with an aim to earning revenue by leasing out 32,375 hectares of land, most of which is currently under the illegal possession of different agencies and individuals.
“We have almost finalised the draft of Roads and Highways Department Combined Land Management Policy 2014 following an inter-ministerial meeting last week. We hope to place it before the cabinet for approval within 10 days,” RHD Secretary MAN Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Once approved, the division would be able to lease out its road- and highway-side land for business purpose and to the government’s utility service providers.
According to sources, more than 20,000 hectares of RHD’s land have remained occupied illegally by government and non-government organisations and other influential quarters.
The proposed policy will allow the government organisations to built monuments, set up offices for utility services and dig pipelines beside roads and highways while private firms and individuals would be allowed to build commercial billboards, and agro-based farms.
The RHD would lease out its lands for a period of maximum five years. However, the lessees would be able to renew contracts every year by paying 5-10% extra fees.
To build billboards, the commercial clients would have to pay Tk2,000-40,000 beside the national highways, Tk1,200-24,000 for regional highways and Tk800-16,000 for the district highways, as per the draft policy.
The government will enjoy the right to use the commercial billboards for free, when needed, for at least 30 days, it says.
Agencies providing power, energy, gas, water and optical fibre services would be allowed to build establishments or dig pipelines on RHD’s land for free.
