The approval came from the weekly Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
“Today’s Ecnec meeting cleared eight projects involving Tk 5,142.06 crore,” said Planning Secretary Muhammad Nurul Amin while briefing reporters after the meeting.
Of the total cost, Tk 4,129.81 crore will come from the government fund, while Tk 1,012.55 crore from foreign sources as project assistance, he said.
Among the approved projects, six are new and the rest two are revised ones.
The Planning Secretary said the 'Expansion and Strengthening of Important Upazila and Union roads under Dhaka Division Project' will be implemented by June 2024.
According to Planning Commission officials, the Local Government Division will implement the project in 67 upazilas out of 88 in 13 districts under the Dhaka Division.
The main project operations include development of some 1001.51 kilometres of road and 240 intersections, construction of 5,857 metres of bridges and culverts, 30 kilometres of drain and some 12,000 square metres of slope protection.
The Planning Secretary said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the meeting issued some directives to the authorities concerned, including formulation of a ‘master plan’ by the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority before taking any development project there.
She put emphasis on creating more ‘jhao bon’ (coastal forest) in the coastal areas of Cox’s Bazar to protect the tourist town from natural disasters.
Sheikh Hasina also directed the Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar to frame a separate ‘master plan’ so that buildings and other infrastructures cannot develop haphazardly in Cox’s Bazar.
Referring to the approval of the construction of supporting infrastructures for the Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City-2 Project with Tk 344.93 crore, the Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to incorporate sports and entertainment facilities as well as shopping mall inside the city.
The Planning Secretary said a project on constructing six stadiums in selected upazilas placed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports was withdrawn from the meeting since mini stadiums are being constructed at upazila level across the country.
Sheikh Hasina directed the authorities concerned not to construct such upazila-level stadiums using lands of schools and colleges rather choose separate places for the stadiums.
She also said these stadiums will have galleries on one side while the three other sides will remain open.
The Prime Minister also asked the Railways Ministry not to launch Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) trains but go for other trains while introducing train services from Dhaka to Bangabandhu Hi-Tech Park.
She suggested introducing a separate direct train from Dhaka to the Hi-Tech Park at Kaliakoir in Gazipur.
The four new projects approved at the meeting are: Overhauling and widening of main road from Holiday Circle-Bazarghata-Larpara (bus Stand) under Cox’s Bazar town with Tk 258.82 crore, Establishment of telecommunication network at Mirsarai Economic Zone in Chattogram with Tk 61.90 crore, Irrigation development at Pabna-Natore-Sirajganj upazilas through using surface water with Tk 560.53 crore and Strengthening Veterinary Health Services project for protecting public health with Tk 73.26 crore.
The two revised projects are: Export competitiveness for job project (1st revised) with Tk 1,012.12 crore and Chittagong Hill Tracts rural development project 2nd phase (3rd revised) with Tk 224.50 crore.