The Executive Committee of National Economic Council(Ecnec) on Tuesday approved 12 development projects involving Tk 15,745 crore including five ones to improve the rural infrastructures in the country.
The approval came from the Ecnec meeting with Ecnec chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who joined it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban, in chair.
Other ministers and officials concerned were connected with the virtual meeting from the Conference Room of the Planning Commission in the city.
“Today the meeting approved 12 projects with an overall estimated cost of Tk 15,744.56 crore,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting.
Of the total cost, Tk 11,674.83 crore will be drawn from the government’s fund, while Tk 4,068 crore from external sources as foreign loan and Tk 1.20 crore from the own fund of the organisations concerned, he said.
The five projects placed by the Local Government Division will cost Tk 11,342 crore.
The five projects are Construction of Important Bridges On Rural Roads (Phase-II) with estimated cost of Tk 4,050 crore, Widening and Strengthening Upazila and Union-Level Important Roads in Barishal Division with Tk 2,693.435 crore, Local Government COVID-19 Response and Recovery (LGCRR) involving Tk 2555.25 crore, Water Supply through Rainwater Harvesting in Coastal Districts with Tk 961.755 crore and Universal Social Infrastructure Development-2 with Tk 1,082 crore.
Read: It's a landmark success, Hasina says after full electrification of Bangladesh
According to the project factsheet, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) will implement the rural bridge construction project in 58 upazilas of 35 districts under eight divisions by December 2026.
The major operations under the project would be 17,697 metres bridge construction, 4,230 metres river training works and 38,800 metres bridge approach road or connecting road construction.
The LGED will also implement the road improvement project in 42 upazilas of six districts under Barishal Division by December 2025, while the universal social infrastructure development project in the entire country by June 2025.
Under the social infrastructure development project, a total of 17,321 social and religious infrastructures including mosques, temples, churches, Pagoda, Eid Gahs and graveyards will be constructed in the country.
The Local Government Division will implement the LGCRR project in the country’s 10 cities and 329 municipalities by December 2025 in order to enhance the capacity of the local government bodies in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and strengthen the preparedness for the similar possible situation in future.
The Public Health Engineering Department will execute the rainwater harvesting project in 44 upazilas of the country’s 10 coastal districts by June 2024.
PM for boosting soybean, sunflower cultivation to meet edible oil demand:
In the meeting, the Prime Minister stressed the need for expanding cultivation of soybean and sunflower in the country to meet the growing demand of edible oil, said planning minister MA Mannan.
Read: Consumers in five south-western districts brace for gas price hike
She asked the authorities concerned to increase afforestation in the coastal areas and the coverage of the mangrove forests.
Sheikh Hasina directed the authorities concerned to maintain proper height in construction of culverts and bridges, keeping the uninterrupted water flow and water vessel movement in mind.
At the outset of the meeting, the planning minister said that the Ecnec meeting greeted the PM for inauguration of Payra Power Plant and attainment of 100 percent electricity coverage in the country.
The six other new projects are Collection of 200 BG Passenger Carriage for Bangladesh Railway with the estimated cost of Tk 1,704.34 crore, Improvement of 3 regional highways and 3 district highways under Naogaon with Tk 1,182.49 crore, Establishment of seed farms in south-eastern region of Bangladesh with Tk 438.94 crore, Establishment of external telecommunication network for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plan with Tk 378.84 crore, Irrigation area and capacity enhancement through raising underground lines as well as introduction of drip irrigation system on the pilot basis with Tk 329.14 crore and Improvement of Governance and Management Research and Training Facilities with Tk 228.08 crore.
The lone revised project is BAF Base Zahurul Haque Chattogram Airmen Training Institute Establishment (1st revised).
The Ecnec cleared the first revision of the project raising its cost by Tk 140 crore. Now its cost has increased to Tk 359.71 crore from Tk 219.29 crore in the original project.