Economic Reporter :
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved a project on rural infrastructural development in Jamalpur and Sherpur districts with an estimated cost of Tk 388.81 crore.
The approval came from the weekly Ecnec meeting held here with its chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan said a total of seven projects were approved on Tuesday involving Tk 1,488.14 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 1,430.77 crore will come from the government fund while Tk 57.37 crore from the organisation’s own fund”, he said.
Of the approved seven projects, four are new while three are revised ones.
The state minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina again put emphasis on constructing concrete roads instead of bitumen roads as these roads are often damaged due to rain.
Sheikh Hasina also suggested constructing these concrete roads through making slabs.
Planning Ministry officials said Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under the Local Government Division (LGD) will implement the rural infrastructural development project from the entire government fund by June 2020.
The main objectives of the project are to create rural road communication network for marketing both farm and non-farm products alongside ensuring social and economic development.
The project also aims to create short- and long-term employment opportunities through rural infrastructural development.
Under the project, there will be upazila, union and village road development alongside submersible road development as well as constructing bridges, road maintenance and tree plantation protection work.
Commenting on the project, Mannan said there is no denying that there is huge lack in rural infrastructures in Jamalpur and Sherpur districts.
The Ecnec meeting approved another project titled ‘Constructing residential buildings for the female prison guards with an estimated cost of Tk 93.97 crore. The Bangladesh Jail and the Department of Housing and Public Works will jointly implement the project by June 2019.
