The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Sunday approved a Tk 5,452.42 crore school feeding programme for government primary schools to ensure students receive nutritious food and reduce malnutrition.
The approval came during an Ecnec meeting held at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with its Chairperson and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus presiding.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud said that a total of 15 projects were approved, with an estimated cost of Tk 21,139.45 crore.
Of the amount, Tk 14,193.57 crore will come from the government, while Tk 6,539.29 crore from project loans, and Tk 406.59 crore from the own funds of the relevant organisations.
Among the approved projects, seven are new, while eight are revised ones initiated during the ousted Awami League government.
The school feeding programme aims to improve enrollment and attendance in primary schools while ensuring students complete their education.
Under this initiative, 3.13 million students from 19,419 primary schools across 150 upazilas will receive nutritious food, including fortified biscuits, bananas, seasonal fruits, buns, eggs and UHT milk, five days a week.
The project areas were selected based on poverty mapping from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022.
Dr Mahmud emphasised that strict management and monitoring would be in place to prevent the misuse of food supplies. Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) will be tasked with overseeing the distribution to ensure students receive their allocated food.
“This programme will not only improve students’ nutrition but also help reduce dropouts and encourage school attendance,” he added.
The meeting also discussed the need to assess and utilize government-owned land effectively. Various government agencies, including Bangladesh Railway, Bangladesh Water Development Board, and Zila Parishads, own large tracts of land, some of which remain unused. Dr. Mahmud suggested that new projects could be planned in viable locations.
The Planning Commission is also considering an integrated river infrastructure management initiative to optimise the use of surface water.
The Ministry of Water Resources is expected to undertake a project this year to restore 10 rivers, including the Korotoa, Bhagor and Titas and take action against encroachers.
To enhance transparency, the government has approved amendments to its procurement policy, ensuring a fully online tendering process to encourage competition.
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He said the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) under the Ministry of Planning would be strengthened further while the implementation progress of all the projects would be posted online in an effort to expedite the implementation pace.
Dr Mahmud said that the amendment to the government procurement policy has been approved by the Advisers Council recently to bring much more transparency in the tender process side by side ensuring more competition.
He also informed that the tendering process under projects would be made cent percent online in the coming days in a bid to enhance competition.
Responding to a question, the Planning Adviser said that the revised project on the Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant has been given approval subject to condition.
He said that there would be no sustainable solution to the water demand of the capital through lifting ground water rather surface water must have to be utilized fully.
The other projects approved in the meeting are: Construction of first terminal and ancillary facilities at Payra Sea Port, 2nd revised, with an additional cost of Tk 911.19 crore, Enhancing the strengths of the existing runway and taxiway of Chattogram Shah Amanat International AirPort, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 81.88 crore, Land acquisition for constructing sewerage treatment plant at Kalurghat area in Chattogram Metropolitan with around Tk 2,154.99 crore, Strengthening Institutions for Climate Change Adapted Water Resource Management in Dhaka with Tk 53.40 crore.
The approved projects also include Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant, Phase-3, 2nd revised with an additional cost of Tk 8,496.80 crore, Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center (2nd revised) with an additional cost of Tk 397.01 crore, Development of switching and transmission network towards strengthening digital connectivity, 3rd revised with a reduced cost of Tk 0.01 crore, Road widening and construction of two-storey road from Panchbati to Mukhtarpur Bridge, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 1076.03 crore, Establishment of Rangamati Medical College and Hospital and Nursing College with around Tk 1,293.31 crore, Establishment of 10 government secondary schools adjacent to Dhaka metropolitan, 2nd revised with an additional cost of Tk 53.35 crore, Maintenance and overhauling of affected food godowns and other ancillary infrastructures across the country with around Tk 255.32 crore, Maintenance and overhauling of record rooms at countywide Deputy Commissioner’s Offices with around Tk 68.97 crore, developing proven bull for boosting production of milk and meat with around Tk 69.48 crore and Constructing physical protection system at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, 2nd revised with an additional cost of Tk 775.28 crore.
The meeting approved a fourth time extension for three projects and was also informed about the Planning Adviser's prior approval of 13 projects.
Advisers concerned and Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present.