The National Economic Council (NEC) on Tuesday approved  the annual development programme for FY23 with an outlay of Tk 2,46,066.09 crore, up by 9.23 per cent from the previous year.

The highest allocation has gone to the transport and communication sector apart of prioritising optimum utilization of public fund by checking misuse, Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters.

Some 1,435 projects are in the new ADP including some 1,244 investment projects, some 106 technical assistance projects and some 85 projects to be financed from the own fund of the autonomous bodies and corporations.

Read: Only AL govt could keep prices under control preventing street fighting: PM

NEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

Ministers, State Ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the meeting from the NEC Conference Room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area and also from the Cabinet Division conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat.

He said that out of the original ADP outlay of Tk 2,46,066.09 crore for the next fiscal year, Tk 1,53,066.09 crore will come from the local sources while the rest of Tk 93,000 crore will be injected as project assistance.

However, considering an allocation of Tk 9,937.18 crore against the autonomous bodies and corporations, the overall ADP allocation for the next fiscal reached Tk 2,56,003.27 crore.

The size of original ADP in the running 2021-22 fiscal year was Tk 2,25,324.14 crore which was later downsized at Tk 2,07,550 crore in the revised ADP (RADP).

The fresh ADP for the next fiscal is around 9.21 percent higher than the original ADP of the current fiscal year and 18.56 pe rcent higher than the RADP of the current fiscal year.

State Minister for Planning  Shamsul Alam, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present at the briefing.

Out of the 15 sectors, the transport and communication witnessed the highest ADP allocation of Tk 70,695.52 crore in the next fiscal year followed by the Power and Energy Sector Tk 39,412.36 crore, the education sector Tk 29,081.38 crore, the health sector Tk 19,277.87 crore.

The other sectors with fresh ADP allocation are: General government services sector Tk 2,875.28 crore, defense sector Tk 1,270.05 crore, public discipline and protection sector with Tk 3,609.77 crore, industry and economic services sector Tk 5,407.26 crore, agriculture sector Tk 10,143.57 crore, local government and rural development with Tk 16,465.02 crore, environment, climate change and water resources with Tk 9,859.25 crore, housing and community facilities with Tk 24,497.22 crore, religion, culture and entertainment sector with Tk 2,364.91 crore, science and ICT sector with Tk 4,167.90 crore and social security sector with Tk 2,569.73 crore.

According to ministry and division wise new ADP allocation, the Local Government Division enjoyed the highest allocation of around Tk 35,842 crore followed by the Road Transport and Highways Division with around Tk 31,296 crore, the Power Division with around Tk 24,139 crore, Ministry of Science and Technology with around Tk 16,011 crore, Health Services Division with around Tk 15,851 crore, Ministry of Railways with around Tk 14,929 crore, Secondary and Higher Education Division with around Tk 14,001 crore, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education with around Tk 11,642 crore, Bridges Division with around Tk 9,290 crore and the Ministry of Water Resources with around Tk 7,938 crore.

Out of the mega projects, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project received the highest fresh ADP allocation of around Tk 13,396 crore followed by the Fourth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4) with around Tk 8,759 crore, Matarbari 2x600 MW ultra super critical coal fired power plant with around Tk 6,554 crore, Expansion of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (1st phase) with around Tk 6,019 crore, Padma Bridge Rail Link Project with around Tk 5,809 crore, COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness (WB-GoB) project with around Tk 4,254 crore, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge Construction Project with around Tk 3,851 crore, Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway construction project with around Tk 3,703 crore, Expansion and strengthening of power system network under DPDC area with around Tk 3,059 crore and Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-6) with around Tk 2,883 crore.

Read: Bangladesh seeks collective efforts in crime prevention, criminal justice

The planning minister said that the prime minister has directed them to check misuse of public fund in all tiers of government machinery.

He said the meeting was informed that the construction work of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project is at the final stage while with the completion of the Padma Bridge Rail Link project, connectivity of the southern region with the other parts of the country would be further enhanced and thus dynamism would be infused in the economy.

He mentioned that once the Padma Bridge rail link project is completed, it would facilitate transportation of goods to and from Payra Port.

Besides, the work on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project is right on schedule, the minister added.

Responding to a question regarding possible measures of the government in the next fiscal year considering the global volatile condition, Mannan said that the government would definitely try to make the necessary expenditure in due time by stopping misuse.

"We're cautious, but we're not afraid of anything," he said.

He said that the flow of foreign loans to Bangladesh would not face any disturbance in the coming days.

State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam said although the number of projects in the new ADP has been reduced in line with the government's plan, but the overall ADP allocation has been increased.

Planning Commission Member Mamun-Al-Rashid said that considering the pandemic situation and the performance of the Ministry of Health, its allocation in the fresh ADP witnessed a rise of 12 per cent.