A total of Tk 34,266 crore allocation has been proposed for seven mega projects in the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2020-21. Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) has received the highest allocation of Tk 15,691 crore and Payra Deep Sea Port project has received the lowest allocation of Tk 350 crore.
Tk 5,000 crore allocation has been proposed for the Padma Bridge construction project.
The size of the new ADP in the budget is Tk 205,145 crore. Of this, Tk 1,34,643 crore will be spent from the government's own funds and Tk 70,501.72 crore from foreign aid. The new ADP in this year’s proposed budget is Tk 12,224 crore which is higher than the revised ADP of the current 2019-20 fiscal year. As a result, the allocation has jumped by 6.34 percent in the new ADP.
The highest allocation in the new ADP is Tk 15,791 crore for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant construction project. In his budget speech, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal mentioned that the allocation has been increased for the most expensive project in Bangladesh to go for rapid production. The cost of construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is now 1 lakh 13 thousand 92 crore 91 lakh. The amount of this expenditure has been mentioned in the Annual Development Program (ADP) document for the current financial year. With the commencement of the concrete casting work of this project, Bangladesh officially joined the 'World Atomic Club' (Nuclear Nation). Bangladesh will be the 32nd country of this club. There are currently 450 nuclear power units in operation in 31 countries around the world.
The finance minister said, work of the ongoing Padma Bridge project is underway amid the coronavirus crisis. Due to the efforts of local and foreign engineers, the 29th span has been permanently installed on the 19th and 20th pillars of the bridge at Mawa end of Munshiganj. Tk 5,000 crore is being allocated for this project in FY 2020-21.
The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project is moving ahead in tandem with the Padma Bridge. Tk 3,685 crore is being allocated in the new financial year to take the work forward in the project. The total cost of this project is Tk 39,246.80 crore.
Among the mega projects, Tk 1,500 crore has been allocated for the construction of a single line dual gauge track from Dohazari to Ramu via Cox's Bazar and from Ramu to Ghumdhum near Myanmar.
Besides, Tk 4,370 crore has been allocated in the budget for the Metrorail-6 project.
The budget has given importance to the construction of a coal-fired power plant under construction at Matarbari in Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar. Tk 3,670 crore has been allocated in the budget to take the project forward.
Construction work of South Bengal's dream project Payra Deep Sea Port is underway in Lalua UP of Patuakhali's Kalapara Upazila. Tk 350 crore has been allocated for this project.