DHAKA: The government has allocated Tk 23,136 crore in the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2014-15 for the development of the country’s communications sector.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith made the proposal while placing the budget for the next financial year before the parliament on Thursday afternoon.

Of the total proposed amount, Tk 8,737 crore has been allocated the Bridge Division,  Tk 6,858 crore for the Road Division, Tk 6,359 crore for railway and Tk 1,182 crore for others.

Tk 23,136 crore allocation for communication infrastructure is the 9.24 percent of total budget size TK 250,506 crore, which is 2.66 percent higher than that of 6.58 percent in the previous fiscal.

To develop the communication infrastructures, government set a list of priorities with the topmost emphasis on the construction of Padma Multipurpose Bridge.

The list of priorities include signing a contract for the construction of Padma Multipurpose Bridge, to be done within June, completing the bridge construction works by 2018, constructing a tunnel underneath the Karnaphuli river in Chittagong, a circular rail road track around Dhaka city, the 3rd Sea port at Payra in Patuakhali, and a sea port and an LNG terminal at Moheshkhali.

BDST: 1855 HRS, JUN 05, 2014