The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved a total of 17 development projects, including Tk 1,858.79-crore one to set up Chattogram Medical University.
It also okayed a Tk 1,133.46-crore project to procure 340 CNG single decker ac buses for Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC).
The approval came from the Ecnec meeting presided over by Ecnec chair and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the NEC conference room in the city’s Agargaon area.
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“The overall estimated cost of the 17 approved projects is some 12,951.51 crore (only additional costs of revised projects were counted here),” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting.
Of the cost, Tk 10,267.52 crore will come from the government’s fund, while Tk 2,670.15 crore from foreign sources and the rest Tk 13.84 crore from the fund of the organizations concerned.
Among the 17 projects, there are 10 new schemes and seven revised ones.
In terms of the cost, the largest project okayed by Ecnec is Pubail-Dhirasram Rail Link Construction and Land Acquisition for Construction of Dhirasram Inland Container Depot (ICD).
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Bangladesh Railway will implement the project in Gazipur City Corporation by September 2026 at a cost of Tk 3,402.89 crore.
The major project operations include acquisition of 231 acres of land and construction of Pubail-Dhirasram 7.16-km rail link.
The container-handling capacity of Dhirasram ICD will be five times of what Kamalapur ICD now can do, which will reduce the pressure of container transport on roads and thus ease traffic congestion.
As per the project factsheet provided by the Planning Commission, Chattogram Medical University (CMU) will be established by June 2027 at Salimpur, Faujdarhat in Sitakunda upazila in a bid to improving the quality of higher education, research and services as well as to expand the facilities in the medical field of the country.
The ‘Procurement of CNG Single Decker AC Buses for BRTC’ project will be implemented by December 2024 aiming to increase reliable and comfortable intercity and intracity public transport facilities, replace unrepairable buses by environment-friendly CNG buses and thus ensure an environment-friendly public transport system.
The major project operations include collection of 140 CNG single decker AC city buses and 200 CNG single decker AC intercity buses.
The seven other new projects approved by the today’s Ecnec meeting are Establishment of Chandpur Medical College and Hospital and Nursing College Project involving the cost of Tk 1370.74 crore; Climate Resilient Livelihoods Improvement and Watershed Management in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CRLIWM-CHT) Sector Project with Tk 1,392.78 crore; Implementation of Integrated Water Resource Management to Reduce Waterlogging in Tungipara-Kotalipara Upazila of Gopalganj District Project with Tk 893.55 crore; Development of Irrigation through Surface Water in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar districts Project with Tk 602.26 crore; Expansion of Modern Agricultural Technology in Char areas of Bangladesh Project with Tk 209.21 crore; Construction of Bridge on the Garai River under Khoksa Upazila of Kushtia District Project with Tk 279.15 crore; and Acquisition of land for the Construction of Necessary Infrastructures aiming to expand facilities for visitors to the Mausoleum Complex of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj district Project with Tk 66.31 crore.