The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved 10 development projects worth Tk 6,651.34 crore.
The approval came from the 26th meeting of the ECNEC held on Tuesday with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting virtually from her official Ganobhaban residence. Ministers, state ministers and Planning Commission members joined the meeting from the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Briefing reporters after the Ecnec meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the Ecnec approved a total of 10 projects on Tuesday involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 6,651.34 crore.
“Of the total cost of the project, Tk 5,219.81 crore will come from the government, Tk 794.03 crore from the organization’s own fund while Tk 637.50 crore as project assistance,” he added.
A total of Tk 1,400.22 crore project approved to construct some 30 silos across the country having facilities for drying paddy, preservation and other related facilities with an overall storage capacity of 1.50 lakh metric tons, he mentioned.
He said said initially, 30 steel silos would be built and later the number of silos would be increased.
The Directorate General of Food under the Ministry of Food will implement the project by December 2023.
The main project objectives include ensuring fair price of produced paddy after procuring directly from the farmers, increasing government food storage capacity to 1.50 lakh metric tons, incorporating modern technology in government food management, keeping the nutrition quality of food grains for two to three years without using pesticides, maintaining quality of stored food grains by controlling humidity and temperature and developing a safe and nutritious food management system.
The silos will be constructed at 30 upazilas under 24 districts of all the eight divisions of the country.
The selected upazilas or pourashavas where these silos will be constructed are Kotiadi, Mirzapur, Tangail Sadar, Faridpur Sadar, Haluaghat, Melandoho, Sribordi, Brahmanbaria Sadar, Noakhali Sadar, Cumilla Sadar, Dinajpur Sadar, Birol, Thakurgaon Sadar, Boda, Hatibandha, Shibpur, Raninagar, Ishwardi, Nondigram, Sherpur, Khetlal, Kanaighat, Shayestaganj, Sunamganj Sadar, Narail Sadar, Kumarkhali, Charfashion, Patuakhali Sadar and Kalapara.
The main project operations include construction of 30 paddy silos each having storage capacity of 5,000 metric tons with paddy sorting, drying, humidity controlling system and other facilities, incorporating truck and bulk weighing machines, conveying, bucket elevator in the silos, civil foundation of 30 silos and construction of multipurpose buildings, construction of 30 power substations and construction of boundary walls.
Meanwhile, the other projects approved in the ECNEC meeting are: construction of Nolua-Baherchar bridge over the Pandab-Paira River on the Barishal (Dinerarpool) Lakshmipasha-Dumki Road involving around Tk 1,023.50 crore, upgrading of Modhupur-Mymensingh national highway into due standard and width at a cost of around Tk 1,107.17 crore.
Construction of River port at Chilmari (Ramna, Jorgach, Rajibpur, Roumari, Noyahut) at a cost of around Tk 235.59 crore, enhancing training capacity of BPATC, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 348.61 crore, modernization and expansion of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons at a cost of around Tk 215.43 crore.
The other projects approved in the meeting are: protection of right embankment of the River Jamuna near Brahmangram-Hatpachil and adjacent areas under Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj and strengthening of Betil Spur-1 and Enayetpur Spur-2 at a cost of Tk 647.49 crore, rehabilitation of Tangon barrage, Buri embankment and Bhulli embankment irrigation project under Thakurgaon district.
Ririverbank protection and integrated water control infrastructures construction at a cost of around Tk 296.36 crore, agriculture seed development and expansion through bio technology at a cost of around Tk 72.35 crore, and erection of Bakhrabad-Meghnaghat-Haripur gas transmission pipeline involving around Tk 1,304.62 crore.
