ECNEC approves 16 projects worth Tk 156b

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved 16 development projects involving Tk 156.83 billion, reports UNB.

The approval came from its meeting held at the NEC conference room in the capital with Ecnec chairperson and prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Today, 16 projects were approved with an estimated cost of Tk 15,683.24 crore. Of the total cost, Tk 5,707.97 crore will come from government fund while Tk 8,740.20 crore as project assistance and the rest Tk 1,235.07 crore from the organisationsown fund, said planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal while briefing reporters after the meeting.

Of the approved 16 projects, 15 are new while one is revised project.

In terms of cost, the biggest project is Improvement of Power Transmission Infrastructures for Evacuating Power to be Produced in Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant involving Tk 109.82 billion.

The planning minister said Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited (PGCB) under the power division will implement the project by December 2022.

Of the total project cost of Tk 109.82 billion, the government will provide Tk 15.28 billion while the PGCB Tk 12.35 billion. The rest of the amount of Tk 82.19 billion will come from the Indian third LoC.

On 25 December 2015, an agreement was signed between the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and the Russian Rosatom worth US$12.65 billion to construct the countrys first nuclear power plant in Rooppur.

Of the two units of the plant, the first unit having the capacity of 1200 MW power generation is expected to come into operation by October 2022, while the second unit also having 1200 MW capacity is expected to come into operation by 2023.

The project will be implemented in 37 upazilas of 13 districts in three divisions.

The main project operations include erection of 609-km 400 KV double circuit transmission line, construction of some 60 kilometer 230 KV Rooppur-Baghabari double circuit transmission line and 12 bay extensions.

The PGCB has already conducted a feasibility study on the project.