The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved a project to develop roads of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and procure modern vehicle machinery for it.
The approval came from the regular weekly meeting of Ecnec held at the NEC conference room here 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 16 projects were approved today and Tk 15,969.24 crore will be required to implement those as per the initial estimate.”
Of the projects, 15 are new while one is revised one.
About the CCC project, the minister said although the original project was estimated at Tk 630.13 crore, it will be reduced as the installation of LED lamps, procurement of escalators and development of bridges will be dropped from the project proposal as per the Prime Minister’s directive.
Ecnec also approved three big projects involving Tk 8,148.82 crore for rural infrastructure development in as many divisions-Mymensingh, Rangpur and Rajshahi. The projects involving an estimated cost of Tk 8,148.82 crore will be implemented by June 2022.
The three biggest schemes are Mymensingh Region Rural Infrastructure Development Project involving the initial cost of Tk 3,183.56 crore, Rangpur Division Rural Infrastructure Development Phase-II Project involving estimated cost of Tk 2,884.86 crore, and the Project of the Existing Polytechnic Institutions’ Infrastructure Development for Creating Admission Scope for More Students, involving an initial expenditure of Tk 2,561.92 crore.
The Planning Minister said the Mymensingh Region Rural Infrastructure Development Project will be implemented to repair roads, including the flood-damaged ones, in six districts of Mymensingh region from October 2017 to June 2022 at an estimated cost of Tk 3,183.56 crore to be entirely borne from the state exchequer.
The project will cover 60 upazilas of Mymensingh, Tangail, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Kishoreganj and Netrakona districts, he said.
Mustafa Kamal said the Rangpur Division Rural Infrastructure Development Phase-II Project will also be implemented at the same time in eight districts of Rangpur Division.
He said the ‘Rangpur Division Rural Infrastructure Development Phase-II Project’ involving Tk 2,884.86 crore, also to be borne from the public coffer, will cover 58 upazilas of Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha districts. The ‘Rajshahi Division (except Sirajganj district) Rural Infrastructure Development Project involves an estimated cost of Tk 2,080.40 crore to be funded by the government. The Rajshahi Division project will cover some 58 upazilas of Pabna, Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Bogra and Joypurhat districts.
The Planning Minister said once the three projects are implemented, the farm and non-farm activities in those areas would get a boost while the marketing of farm products will be facilitated, contributing to the reduction of poverty.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed the authorities concerned to ensure strict monitoring so that the projects are implemented maintaining quality.
Ecnec also gave its nod to the ‘Procurement of 20 metre gauge diesel electric locomotives and 150 metre gauge passenger carriages for Bangladesh Railway Project’ with an estimated cost of Tk 1,799.11 crore.
Bangladesh Railway will implement the project by June 2021. Of the total project cost, Tk 384.43 crore will come from the state exchequer while the rest as project assistance from EDCF of South Korea.
The Planning Minister said once these locomotives and passenger carriages are added to the Bangladesh Railway, more modern, safe and improved rail communications will be ensured as well as the revenue of BR would also increase.
The other projects approved at the meeting are Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Capacity Building Project (3rd revised) with Tk 170.23 crore, Agriculture Information Service Modernisation and Digital Agriculture Information and Communication Strengthening Project with Tk 68.71 crore, Infrastructural development of existing polytechnic institutes to ensure enrollment of more students with Tk 2,561.92 crore.
The approved projects also include Establishment of four female polytechnic institutes in Sylhet, Barisal, Rangpur and Mymensingh divisions with Tk 353.98 crore, Physical infrastructural development of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam University with Tk 491.34 crore, Awareness communication programme (5th phase) towards children and women development with Tk 139.62 crore, Eye health promotion and prevention of blindness in selected areas of Bangladesh with Tk 74.88 crore.
