PUTRAJAYA: The Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKLW) is identifying rural development programmes to be given priority to ensure they meet the needs of the grassroot society.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, said the move was also in line with the ministry’s key strategy to improve the people’s well-being.
“We have received many applications from the economic planning units in the respective states, apart from applications from elected representatives,” he told a media conference after a meeting with state executive councillors in-charge of rural development here yesterday.
He said feedbacks received would be coordinated through the ministry’s data base to ensure fair distribution of funds.
During the meeting, he said the ministry also obtained feedback from the state executive councillors on rural problems in their respective states.
In the 2015 Budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak recently, the Rural and Regional Development Ministry was allocated RM4.5 billion, from RM4.1 billion in the 2014 Budget.
“All problems will be scrutinised before the ministry approves any form of aid that can help improve the well-being of the target group,” he added.
On the huge allocation required for programmes to connect electricity supply in the rural areas, of RM1.1 billion under the 2015 Budget, he said it included for installation of additional 10 lamp poles in all villages nationwide.
It involves more than 22,000 villages, involving cost of RM26 million, he added. — Bernama