A SUM of RM81.1 million has been proposed under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) to continue the development of rural growth centres (RGCs) throughout Sarawak.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said that under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), a total sum of RM106.8 million had been approved for the development of RGCs throughout the state.
“As of Oct 31 this year, a total of RM65.5 million has been spent to implement projects at Long Lama, Semop, Opar, Awat-Awat, and Beladin,” he said in his winding-up speech for the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development (Manred) today.
He said RM1.5 billion had been allocated to the Highland Development Authority (HDA) to carry out various infrastructure projects.
“This allocation is used to undertake three major projects, namely the construction of 30 road and bridge projects benefiting 63 village communities in Bario Highlands, Apoh-Tutoh, Long Lama, Tinjar, and Upper Baram, costing RM1.264 billion; the construction of 20 water supply and treatment projects costing RM210 million; and the construction of two power supply projects with a cost of RM25.6 million,” he said.
Uggah said the Integrated Regional Samarahan Development Agency had likewise been allocated RM1.5 billion to implement various development projects in Saramahan Division.
He said as of October, 52 projects had been completed while 237 projects were in the pre-implementation stage and the remaining 139 projects were still in the planning stage.
“To support the development of food basket development areas, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has identified around 77,000 hectares of land within Betong, Sarikei, and Mukah Divisions,” said Uggah, who is Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development.
He said that to date, RM184 million had been approved for the construction of drainage schemes to develop commercial-scale food production projects.
