Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked the authorities concerned to install toll machines on all highways countrywide. She came up with the instruction at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) meeting held at the NEC conference room while giving her approval to 10 projects involving a total estimated cost of Tk 6,326 crore, including Tk 1,630 crore to set up axle-load control centres on important highways.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Ecnec Chairperson, presided over the meeting. “The money which will be collected from the vehicles through installing toll machines, will be spent for the maintenance of the highways,” quoting Sheikh Hasina, Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters after the meeting.
“Like in the developed countries, we will also have to install toll machines on Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Rangpur and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways. Besides, a separate account will also have to be opened to deposit the money collected from the vehicles. And the money will be used to repair the highways,” Sheikh Hasina was quoted as saying.
About axle load control centres, the premier said, there is need for axle load control centre as none can tamper it. If any vehicle passes over it, name of vehicle, number, weight and details must be shown. The information must be monitored centrally. Regarding the Prime Minister’s advice on implementing the project, Mannan said, necessary manpower should be appointed before the start of the project. Their training must be included in the project activities so that obstacles were not created after the start of the project.
The ECNEC approved 10 projects worth Tk 6,326.23 crore. Of the amount, Tk 5,326.91 crore will come from the government exchequer while the remaining Tk 999.32 crore from the organizations‘ own funds. The Road and Highways Department will implement the project by June 2022.
Under the project, the axle load control centres will be set up at 21 points of important highways of the country, he said. The project areas are----Gazipur Sadar, Keraniganj, Haluaghat in Mymensingh, Nolitabari in Sherpur, Burichong in Cumilla, Satkania in Chattogram, Shitakundo, Madhobpur in Narsingdhi, Biyanibazar, Rampal, Satkhira Sadar, Damarhuda in Chuadanga, Hakimpur in Dinajpur, Shibganj, Roumari in Kurigram, Tetulia in Panchagarh, Syedpur, Shibchar and Kalihati upazilas in the country.
“Virtual rooms should be setup at every jail in the country so that judges can hold trials from the courtroom,” quoting the Prime Minister, Mannan also said. “Prime Minister has sought the statistics of how many students are now studying at science and technology universities in the country. The authorities concerned should prepare a policy to fix the number of students for admission into these universities. The authority should establish science and technology universities at every district, where needed,” Mannan added.
The ECNEC also approved Tk 174 crore projects to establish centres for testing the purity of water across the country, which will be implemented from July 2019 to June 2022. Another project worth Tk 793 crore is for the maintenance of the Dhaka-Chattogram four-lane highway.
