KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 15 – A total of RM25 million has been specially allocated this year to build farm roads across the country to help farmers transport their produce, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said it was to facilitate farmers in rural areas to market their produce in urban centres.
“2017 is a year to implement people-friendly or people-centric projects,” he said, adding that a total of RM284 million had been allocated to build, maintain and upgrade rural and village roads. He was replying to Datuk Mohd Zaim Abu Hassan (BN-Parit) during Question Time.
The Parit MP had requested the ministry to give priority to the construction of rural and farm roads to enable rural people to market their products in urban centres. Answering a supplementary question, he said the regulation requiring a village road to be built only if it led to two or three houses still applied.
He said, as a rule, they do not allow the building of a road leading to just one house as they want the road to benefit more people. However,he also added that they are welcoming any suggestion to build roads leading to places where there is just one house. — Bernama
