Economic Reporter :
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved eight development projects with an outlay of Tk 1,442.42 crore, including one to set up the second campus of the Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University involving Tk 238.87 crore.
The approval came from the 25th Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year held at the NEC conference room with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of eight projects were approved today with Tk 1,442.41 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 953.52 crore will come from the national exchequer and Tk 25.04 crore from the organisation’s own fund while Tk 463.85 crore from project assistance,” he said.
Of the approved eight projects, seven are new while another is a revised one.
Planning Ministry sources said Bangladesh University Grants Commission and Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University will implement the project by June 2019 at Pahartali and Hathazari of Chittagong, and Cox’s Bazar entirely with government fund.
Under the project, two new faculties-faculty of agribusiness management, faculty of biotechnology, two new institutes-institute of coastal biodiversity, marine fisheries and wildlife conservation and institute of food safety and nutrition and four departments-departments of oceanography, environmental science, biotechnology, and wildlife conservation and management would be set up.
Besides, the number of students at the university will rise to 2,000 for which the project has been undertaken.
Mustafa Kamal said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the meeting asked the authorities concerned to take initiatives for setting up a specialised university in Cox’s Bazar with an emphasis on research.
The Ecnec meeting gave nod to another project titled ‘Establishment of supervisory control and data acquisition system’ with Tk 152.20 crore in a bid to ensure efficiency in electricity management at the zone under Desco.
Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited under the Power Division will implement the project by June 2019 in Gazipur, Narayanganj, Dhaka metropolitan city (north), Tongi and Purbachhal Model Town with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Desco started its journey back in September 24, 1998 in the city’s Mirpur area with an initial load demand of 90 MW electricity and 71,161 clients.
With the passage of time, the Desco periphery has expanded to 250 square kilometers to Gulshan, Tongi and Purbachhal Model Town raising the Desco load to 726 MW and the number of clients to 7 lakh.
The Planning Minister said the project would help ensure uninterrupted power supply to a large extent in the project areas.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Planning Minister presented a bouquet to the Prime Minister on behalf of his ministry for the inclusion of her name in the annual list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by US magazine, ‘Fortune’. Sheikh Hasina has been ranked No. 10 on the list.
The other projects approved at the meeting are: Enhancing physical and academic facilities of Noakhali Science and Technology University with Tk 238.48 crore, modernisation of food and radiation science facilities at Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission with Tk 47.67 crore, establishment of BSCIC printing industrial estate with Tk 140.41 crore, Kaliakoir hi-tech park (3rd revised) with Tk 394.15 crore, development of Sylhet-Sunamganj road with Tk 140.65 crore and Ruma-Bogalake-Keokradang road development (1st phase) with Tk 89.98 crore.
Ministers, State Ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present.
