Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to take action against those responsible for the slow progress in implementation of Kushtia Medical College and Hospital Project.

She issued the order while approving the 2nd revision of the much-talked-about project with an additional cost of Tk 71.38 crore at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

Sheikh Hasina, also the Ecnec chairperson, presided over the meeting held at the NEC conference room, joining it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

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“The final notice was served to complete the work on Kushtia Medical College. The Prime Minister issued a tough directive in this regard. She directed the Planning Commission to take punitive action against those responsible for its slow implementation,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting.

He said IMED launched an investigation and finally submitted its report over the alleged irregularities in the work of the medical college project.

Mannan said the Prime Minister asked the authorities to take action against all those involved in the irregularities in implementing the project and asked them not to spare anyone, even if one goes on retirement.

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Hasina asked the implementing agencies to complete the work on the project within the new timeframe. 

According to its original layout, the project was supposed to be implemented from January 2012 to December 2014 with a cost of Tk 275.44 crore.

In the 2nd revision, the project cost was raised to Tk 682.46 crore and the deadline was extended up to December 2023.

The Ecnec meeting approved a total of nine projects with the overall estimated cost of Tk 6,551.27 crore (only additional costs of the revised projects were counted here). 

“Of the total cost, Tk 3,742.29 crore will be drawn from the government portion, while Tk 26.22 crore will come from the fund of organization concerned and the rest of Tk 2,782.76 crore as project assistance from foreign sources,” said the Planning Minister.

Among the nine projects, four are new, while five are revised ones.

Bangabandhu Tunnel

MA Mannan said the Ecnec meeting was informed that the work on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman tunnel under the Karnaphuli Tunnel is likely to be completed well ahead of the stipulated timeframe of December 2022.

Out of the two channels of the tunnel, the work on one channel has already been completed and that of another channel is likely to be completed soon, most likely on Friday, he said.

“Hopefully, the work on the tunnel will be completed well before December 2022…..it’s a matter of great pleasure for the government,” he said, adding that the project didn’t require any revision.

The Prime Minister said if foreign funding is not available against development projects, then the government could go for using its sound foreign currency reserves, he mentioned.

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Fresh Projects  

Among the fresh projects, the meeting approved a Tk 1435.89-crore project to upgrade the Tangail-Delduar-Louhati-Saturia-Kawalipara-Kalampur stand road to a regional highway. The Roads and Highways Department, under the Road Transport and Highways Division, will implement the project in Tangail by December 2023.

Three other fresh projects are Establishment of two agricultural training institutes in Jagannathpur and Mohonganj upazilas with Tk 356.08 crore; Riverbank protection, re-excavation of small rivers, canals, beels, addressing waterlogging at Pirganj upazila in Rangpur with Tk 165.59 crore; and riverbank protection on the both sides of the Kirtinasha River at Shariatpur with Tk 319.33 crore.

Of the revised project, the Ecnec cleared the first revision of Sayedabad Water Plant (Phase-III), increasing its cost to Tk 7518 crore from Tk 4597 crore and extending the deadline to June 2025 due to complication in availing of funds and legal complexities.

According to the factsheet provided by the Planning Commission, the reasons behind the revision of Sayedabad Water Plant (Phase-III) include complexity in getting funds from development partners, filing a writ petition with the High Court by Aman Group, concerns of development partners over industrial activities on the banks of Meghna River and its water pollution, inflation, expanding scope of work.

In the original project, the cost was Tk 4597.36 crore and the project timeframe was July 2015 to June 2020. But the cost now increased to Tk 7518.03 crore and the project deadline was extended to June 2025.

The main objective of the project is to decrease dependency on underground water by the construction of a surface water treatment plant with 450-MLD capacity.

The major operations under the projects include construction of surface water treatment plant with 450 MLD capacity and Intake Pumping Station with 950 MLD, installation of 52.8-km transmission line and 54-km distribution line, and acquisition of 34.31 acres of land.

The other revised projects are Boropukuria-Bogura-Kaliakoir 400kv line (1st revised) with an additional cost of Tk 729.89 crore; Erection of railway track from Khulna to Mongla Port (2nd revised) with an additional cost of Tk 459.27 crore; and agriculture weather information system development (1st revised) with an additional cost of Tk 93.18 crore.