The government approved the Annual Development Programme (ADP) worth a total of Tk 2,46,066 crore for the upcoming 2022-23 fiscal year giving the highest allocation to the transport and communication sector.
The National Economic Council (NEC) Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the NEC meeting virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence on Tuesday.
Ministers, State Ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the meeting from the NEC conference room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area and also from the Cabinet Division conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of Tk 2,46,066.09 crore has been approved for the next fiscal year. Among the total allocation, Tk 1,53,066.09 crore (62.21 percent) will come from the local sources while the rest of Tk 93,000 crore (37.79 percent) as foreign loans.
However, out of the 15 sectors, the transport sector got a higher allocation of Tk 70,696 crore while power and energy got Tk 39,412 crore. The education sector was allocated Tk 29,081.38 crore while the health sector got Tk 19,277.87 crore.
A total of 62 ministries and divisions, including transport, power, energy, education, health and rural development, requested more allocation for the next fiscal, resulting in a larger budget for the next ADP.
The other sectors with fresh ADP allocation are: General government services sector Tk 2,875.28 crore, defense sector Tk 1,270.05 crore, public discipline and protection sector with Tk 3,609.77 crore, industry and economic services sector Tk 5,407.26 crore, agriculture sector Tk 10,143.57 crore, local government and rural development with Tk 16,465.02 crore, environment, climate change and water resources with Tk 9,859.25 crore, housing and community facilities with Tk 24,497.22 crore, religion, culture and entertainment sector with Tk 2,364.91 crore, science and ICT sector with Tk 4,167.90 crore and social security sector with Tk 2,569.73 crore.
According to the ministry and division-wise new ADP allocation, the Local Government Division enjoyed the highest allocation of around Tk 35,842 crore.
It was followed by the Road Transport and Highways Division with around Tk 31,296 crore, the Power Division with around Tk 24,139 crore, Ministry of Science and Technology with around Tk 16,011 crore, Health Services Division with around Tk 15,851 crore, Ministry of Railways with around Tk 14,929 crore, Secondary and Higher Education Division with around Tk 14,001 crore, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education with around Tk 11,642 crore, Bridges Division with around Tk 9,290 crore and the Ministry of Water Resources with around Tk 7,938 crore.
Out of the mega projects, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project received the highest fresh ADP allocation of around Tk 13,396 crore followed by the Fourth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4) with around Taka 8,759 crore.
The 1200 megawatts Matarbari power project got around Tk 6,554 crore, Expansion of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (1st phase) got around Tk 6,019 crore, Padma Bridge Rail Link Project got around Tk 5,809 crore, COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness (WB-GoB) project got around Tk 4,254 crore.
The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge Construction Project got around Tk 3,851 crore, Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway construction project got around Tk 3,703 crore, Expansion and strengthening of power system network under DPDC area got around Tk 3,059 crore and Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-6) got around Tk 2,883 crore.
However, considering an allocation of Tk 9,937.18 crore against the autonomous bodies and corporations, the overall ADP allocation for the next fiscal reached Tk 2,56,003.27 crore.
The size of the original ADP in the current fiscal year (FY22) was Tk 2,25,324.14 crore which was later downsized to Tk 2,07,550 crore. The fresh ADP for FY23 is around 9.21 percent higher than the original ADP of the current fiscal year and 18.56 percent higher than the RADP of the current fiscal year.
Some 1,435 projects are in the new ADP including some 1,244 investment projects, some 106 technical assistance projects and some 85 projects to be financed from the own fund of the autonomous bodies and corporations.
The Planning Minister said the meeting was informed that the construction work of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project is at the final stage while with the completion of the Padma Bridge Rail Link project, connectivity of the southern region with the other parts of the country would be further enhanced and thus dynamism would be infused in the economy.
He said that once the Padma Bridge rail link project is completed, it would facilitate the transportation of goods to and from Payra Port.
About the implementation of the mega projects, he informed that the Padma Bridge would be opened to traffic this June as the Prime Minister would officially inaugurate the movement of traffic.
Besides, the work on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project is right on schedule, the minister added.
State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said that in recent times a qualitative change has been brought in the project formulation and approval process as they are now undertaking projects in a more cautious manner and with thorough scrutiny.
He said although the number of projects in the new ADP has been reduced in line with the government's plan, the overall ADP allocation has been increased.