The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved a total of nine projects at an estimated cost of Taka 4,324.61 crore.
Planning Minister MA Mannan said this while briefing newsmen following the ECNEC meeting. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the ECNEC chairperson, presided over the meeting held at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Ministers, state ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present in the meeting.
The planning minister further said that a Tk 1,209.60 crore project has been approved for completing necessary land acquisition and rehabilitation works for upgrading the Hatirjheel-Rampura Bridge-Banasri-Shekherjaiga-Amulia-Demra Highway into four lane.
About funding of the projects the minister said, “Tk 4,249.09 crore will come from the government exchequer, Tk 5.68 crore from the concerned organization’s own fund while the rest of Tk 69.84 crore as project assistance.”
Out of the approved nine projects, eight are new while another one is a revised project, he added.
Regarding the project for upgrading the Hatirjheel-Rampura Bridge-Banasri-Shekherjaiga-Amulia-Demra Highway into four lane, the planning minister said the project operations include some 25.47 hectares of land acquisition, compensation and rehabilitation beside other necessary consultancy and procurement works.
The project will be implemented by December 2024. The Department of Roads and Highways under the Road Transport and Highway’s Division will implement it, MA Mannan added.
“It is a supporting project and once the main project works of upgrading the 13.50 kilometer highway including Chattogram Road Circle and Tarabo Link Road is completed under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) initiative, people traveling from and to Chattogram and Sylhet from the capital would be benefitted with easier travel alongside smoother goods transportation,” he added.
The ECNEC meeting also approved a project for conducting dredging at Mongla Port Channel with an estimated cost of Taka 793.73 crore in a bid to turn this port into an international one. Once the project is implemented, it will ensure necessary depth for handling capacity of ships having 9.5 to 10 meter draft at Mongla Port Jetty.
Once this project is implemented, it would help to boost the capacity of Mongla Port to a big extent and thus meeting its growing demand for handling containers, the minister said.
The yesterday’s ECNEC meeting also approved a Tk 113.69 crore project for procurement of necessary vehicles and equipment for Rangpur City Corporation. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the authorities concerned including the Mayor of Rangpur City Corporation to ensure proper utilization of these proposed vehicles, machineries and equipment, the planning minister said.
The other projects approved in the meeting are construction of Rajshahi WASA Bhaban with Taka 65.99 crore, Bhandal Juri Water Supply project, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 958.85 crore, upgradation of Narayanganj Link Road (from Signboard to Chashara) into six-lane with Taka 449.58 crore, Agricultural Development at Rajshahi Division through extension of modern technology with Taka 147.03 crore, Protection of River Bank near
Doarabazar upazila parishad complex, Rokkhibaor and Betura on the right side of River Surma under Sunamganj district with Taka 191.67 crore and Arial Kha River bank protection and dredging under Shibchar upazila in Madaripur district with Taka 394.47 crore.