The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday okayed the first revision of the 4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme  (4th HPNSP) raising its cost by Tk 30,448.62 crore and extending the project deadline by one year till June 2023. Ecnec approved a total of 11 development projects with the overall estimate cost of Tk 37,507 crore (counting only additional costs of four revised projects). Read: Ecnec approves Tk 1803-cr project to fight flood, riverbank erosion The approval came from the virtual Ecnec meeting, which was presided over by Encec chair and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from her official residence Ganobhaban. The other ministers and officials concerned were connected with the meeting from the NEC conference room. “Today’s meeting approved 11 projects -- seven fresh and four revised ones— and the total estimated cost of Tk 37,507.22 crore,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting. Of the cost, Tk 36,023.91 crore will be drawn from government funds, while Tk 33.33 crore from Dhaka South City Corporation’s fund and the rest Tk 1,449.98 crore will come from foreign sources as project loans, he said. According to the Planning Commission, the cost of the 4th HPNSP has now increased to Tk 145,934.99 crore from Tk 115,486.36 crore from the original layout. Among the new seven projects, the largest one is ‘Construction of Primary Infrastructures for Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology Project’ involving Tk 1503.32 crore, which will be implemented in Shibchar in Madaripur. Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority under ICT Division will execute the project by December 2026 in order to develop the country’s first frontier technology-based specialised institute. The major project operations include acquisition and development of 70.34 acres of land, providing higher trainings on different essential matters including IOT, big data or data science, forensic or cyber security, machine learning, block chain and chip design, construction of 7,742-sq metre administrative Bhaban, 43,287-sq metre research development Bhaban and also Business Centre, and 9,760-sq metre dormitory and 8,800-sq metre football ground with gallery. The six other fresh projects include ‘Infrastructural Development of Mongla Commander Flotilla West (Comflot West)’ with estimated cost of Tk 699.94 crore; ‘Integrated Sanitation and Hygiene (Integrated Solid and Human Waste Management) in 10 Priority Cities of Bangladesh’ with Tk 559.68 crore; and ‘Waste Removal and Management in Dhaka South City Corporation Affiliated Area, Collection of Modern Vehicles used for Road Repairs and Easing traffic congestion through installation of Mechanized Parking’ with Tk 333.32 crore. Read: Turning Bangladesh into digital economy: Ecnec clears Tk 2,542 cr project The remaining new projects are ‘Modernisation of Chattogram, Cumilla and Mymensingh (Trishal) Military Farms’ with the cost of Tk 263.83 crore; ‘Smart Agriculture Card and Digital Agriculture (Pilot)’ with Tk 107.92 crore; and ‘Construction of Hostels/Dormitories for Doctors, Officers, Senior Staff Nurses and Trainees working at Azimpur Maternal and Child Health Training Institute, Dhaka’ with Tk 64.34 crore. Three other revised projects approved in the meeting are Upgradation of Ashuganj River Port-Sarail-Dharkhar-Akhaura Land Port Highway to four lanes National Highway (1st revised) with Tk 5,791.60 crore (which was Tk 3,567.85 crore in the original project);  Important Rural Infrastructure Development of Gopalganj District (2nd revised) with Tk 1,827.80 crore (Tk 1,123 crore in 1st revision and Tk 614.84 crore in original one); and Upgrading of Dhaka Water Supply Network (1st revised) with Tk 3,780 crore (Tk 3,182.30 crore in the original project).