The approval came at the first Ecnec meeting of the new fiscal year (2020-21) held at the NEC Conference Room with Ecnec Chairperson  and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

But the Prime Minister and Planning Minister MA Mannan joined the meeting from Ganobhaban through a,videoconference.

 “Today’s Ecnec meeting approved nine projects under four ministries and the total estimated cost of the projects is Tk 2,744.44 crore. Of the cost, 1,353.70 will be borne from the national exchequer, while Tk 440.79 crore from the own funds of the agencies concerned and Tk 949.96 crore as foreign debt,” said the Planning Minister at a virtual press briefing after the meeting.

Four of the projects are under LGRD and Cooperative Ministry, two each under the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and the Water Resources Ministry, and one under Shipping Ministry.

The projects under LGRD and Cooperative Ministry are Construction of 1490-metre Long PC Girder Bridge on Panchpir Bazar-Chilmari Upazila Head Quarter Road over the Teesta River in Sundarganj Upazila under Gaibandha district (2nd revised) Project; Rupganj Jalshiri Abashon Connecting Road Development (1st revised) Project; Development of Rural Infrastructures in Jamalpur and Sherpur Project; and Bridge Construction over Dakatia River at Faridganj, Chandpur.

The projects under the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry are Installation of Single Point Mooring (SPM) with double pipelines (2nd revised) Project; Ghorashal Unit Third Repowering (1st revised) Project.     

The two projects under the Water Resources Ministry are rehabilitation of three projects in Dhamurhat, Patnitola and Mohadebpur upazila under Noagaon district and Atrai River Bank Protection including dredging works project; and rehabilitation of Dinajpur town projection project and system dredging or digging of Depa and Goveshwari rivers adjacent to Dinajpur town project.

The lone project under the Shipping Ministry is Establishment of global marine distress and safety and integrated marine navigation system (EGIMNS) Project.

Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Information Minister Dr Mohammad Hasan Mahmud, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Zahid Maleque, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Md Sahab Uddin, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, among others, joined the meeting from the NEC conference room.