DHAKA: The government has signed a loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) of 110 million US dollars for the development of infrastructure and solar power installments in the country’s remote areas.

Economic Relations Department (ERD) Secretary Mohamamd Mesbahuddin and ADB Resident Mission in-charge and, also deputy country director, Oleg Tonkonojenkov signed the deal on  their respective sides at NEC-2 conference room of Planning Commission in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in city on Sunday afternoon.

Of the money, $100m would be used for infrastructure development and $10m for the improvement of home solar system.

Infrastructure sectors cover power manufacturing, highways and bridges, railway, ports, water supply, sanitation and waste management, gas, information and technology and other sectors.

The money will also be used in solar power installation and home solar system in the remote areas.

The government will provide the money to the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), which will implement the project from 2014 to 2019 in accordance with the deal.

About the ADB loan on solar system, ERD secretary Mesbahuddin said, “With this money, solar system would be set up where electricity has not been reached, this system would be used for irrigation.”

“As a result, pressure on diesel and electricity would be lessened,” he added.

BDST: 1905 HRS APR 06, 2014