The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved nine projects worth Tk 3226.75 crore including Ashrayan project to rehabilitate Rohingyas in Noakhali. The approval came from the ECNEC meeting held at the National Economic Council Conference room in the citys Agargaon area with its chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
After the meeting, planning minister MA Mannan told reporters that nine projects were approved involving Tk 3226.75 crore. All funds will come from the government exchequer. Of them, five are fresh ones and four are revised ones, he said. The planning minister said, Bangladesh Navy will implement the Ashrayan project at Bhasan Char of Char Ishwar union in Noakhali's Hatiya where Rohingyas will be accommodated.
The Ashrayan-3 (for construction of houses for forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Bhasanchar of Hatiya upazila under Noakhali and necessary security infrastructures for the island) (1st revised) project with the additional cost of Tk 782.80 crore, he added. Now, the cost of the Ashrayan-3 project stands at Tk 3,094.95 crore from the original cost of Tk 2,312.15 crore, while that of Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centre Project at Tk 533.55 crore from the cost of Tk 305.10 crore estimated in the first revision.
The ECNEC has also approved a project of the modernisation and construction of necessary structures of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Jatiya Sangsad Sadashya Bhaban and MP Hostel Project with Tk 233.92 crore, Mannan said. During the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authority concerned to install prepaid meters at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Jatiya Sangsad Sadashya Bhaban and MP Hostel to save electricity, Mannan said quoting the premier.
The ECNEC also approved seven other projects ---- Improvement of Sirajganj-Kazipur-Dhanut-Sherpur and Sirajganj (Bagbati)-Dhanut (Sonamukhi) Highway Project at an estimated cost of Tk 988.65 crore. Construction of Bhairab Bridge over Bhairab River on Dighalia (Railgate)-Aruya-Gazirhat-Terokhada Road Project worth Tk 617.53 crore; Extension and Modernisation of Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) project at Tk 240.27 crore; and Installation of Premix Kernel Machine and Laboratory and Construction of Infrastructures to Ensure Nutrition in Food Grains project at the cost of Tk 66.78 crore; Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centre (2nd revised) Project with an the additional cost of Tk 228.45 crore; Re-installation and Up-gradation of Level-Crossing Gates of the East Zone of Bangladesh Railway Project at an additional cost of Tk 23.91 crore and Re-installation and Up-gradation of Level-crossing Gates of the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway Project at an additional cost of Tk 44.44 crore. Besides, the cost of re-installation and up-gradation of Level-crossing Gates of the East Zone of Bangladesh Railway Project has now increased toTk 104.51 crore from Tk 80.59 estimated in the first revision and that of re-installation and up-gradation of Level-Crossing Gates of the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway Project to Tk 92.28 crore from the original cost of Tk 47.84 crore.