ECNEC approves 10 projects of Tk 94.60b
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Sunday approved 10 projects of an overall estimated cost of Tk 94.60 billion, including a Tk 64.76 billion project to allocate fund against each Member of Parliament (MP) to spend for development of rural infrastructures in the country.
The approval came from the 24th ECNEC meeting of the outgoing fiscal year (2019-20) held at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area with ECNEC chairperson and prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The prime minister and planning minister MA Mannan, however, joined the meeting from Ganobhaban through videoconference.
While speaking at a virtual briefing after the meeting, Mannan said, “The day’s meeting approved 10 projects and the total estimated cost of these projects is Tk 94.60 billion. It is a matter of pleasure that the entire money will come from the government fund,”
Of the approved 10 projects, six are new while the rest four are revised projects.
About the “Development of rural Infrastructures on priority basis Phase-III Project”, Mannan said allocation of Tk 200 million will be made against each MP elected from rural areas except those in the urban areas to improve only rural infrastructures like roads, bridges and culverts.
He said the project will be implemented by June 2024. “I think it will be very useful for the welfare of the people,” he added.
According to the Planning Commission, this project will cover all the parliamentary constituencies of the entire country except those in different city corporation areas.
The main operations of the project include development of 305.21km upazila roads, 660.37 km union roads, 5075.76 km village roads, maintenance of 1090.77 km village roads, construction of 7992.22 meter infrastructures on rural roads (construction of small bridges and culverts, each one with less than 100 meter in length).
The planning minister said the ADP implementation rate during the July-May period of the outgoing fiscal year reached 57.37 per cent compared to 67.97 percent during the same period in the last fiscal year.
The approved five new projects are Protection of Moulvibazar Sadar, Rajnagar and Kulaura upazilas from the erosion of Monu River Project involving Tk 9.96 billion; Development of Sustainable Water Supply, Sanitization and Hygiene Management in Haor Region Project with Tk 557.62 crore; Reconstruction of 100-metre gauge passenger carriage of Bangladesh Railways (Phase-II) Project with Tk 74.12 crore; Improvement of Tekerhat-Gopalganj (Haridaspur)-Mollahat (Ghonapara) Regional Highway into due standard and width project with Tk 612.58 crore; and Reconstruction of Jamalpur District Jail Project with Tk 210.03 crore.
The revised projects are Improvement of Important Regional Highways into due standard and width (Chattogram Zone) (1st revised) Project with an additional cost of Tk 2.56 billion (total Tk 6.92billion); Increasing fish production by improving water bodies (2nd revised) Project with an additional cost of Tk 1.16 billiob (Total Tk 4 billion); Development of Important Rural Infrastructures in Greater Patuakhali District (Patuakhali and Barguna districts) (2nd revised) Project with an additional cost of Tk 1.59 billion (total Tk 6.91 billion) and Construction of BAFO Bangabandhu Complex, Jashore (3rd revised) Project with no rise in the estimated project cost.
The prime minister in the meeting issued a set of directives that include cleaning the garbage on the surface and beneath the water bodies for fish farming alongside strengthening the embankments and setting up food processing industries in the country.
Besides, the premier also asked the authorities concerned to build the roads of the local government bodies maintaining due quality, keeping the provision of virtual court in each jail, and modernization of the railway workshops.
Apart from this, the prime minister suggested for changing the places of sand quarries from time to time to avert river erosion.
Ministers and state ministers concerned attended the meeting while Planning Commission members and secretaries were present.