The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved a total of 20 projects including Tk3,751.09 crore one to set up some 50 upazila-level technical training centres in a bid to impart skills among uneducated and semi-educated youths, who are intended to go abroad, in line with the foreign labour markets.
The approval came from the Ecnec meeting presided over by Prime Minister and Ecnec Chair Sheikh Hasina at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e Bangla Nagar area.
“Today’s (Tuesday) meeting approved 20 projects involving an overall estimated cost of Tk14,077.86 crore (only additional costs of the revised projects were counted here),” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting.
Of the total cost, Tk12,409.44 crore will be financed by the government, while Tk1,049.04 crore will come from the foreign sources and Tk619.38 crore from the funds of the organizations concerned, he said.
Of the approved 20 projects, 13 are new while seven are revised projects.
Besides, the Ecnec approved the extended timeframes of five projects without increasing their costs.
As per the project factsheet, the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) under the Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry will implement the establishment of 50 upazila-level Technical Training Centres Project by March 2028.
The project objectives also include to attain economic prosperity and progress, to create employment scopes and alleviate poverty through the skills development training.
In the Ecnec meeting, the prime minister again put emphasis on reining in inflation and prevention of unnecessary expenditure and wastage of the public fund, said Mannan.
Hasina suggested building up green belt or afforestation surrounding the island like in the Sundarbans.
The other approved projects include Climate and Disaster Resilient Small-Scale Water Resources Management Project (CDRSSWRMP) with Tk2,235.80 crore, Smallholder Agricultural Competitiveness Project (SACP), 2nd revised with an additional cost of Tk419.76 crore, Important Rural Infrastructures Development of Gopalganj district, 2nd phase with Tk815 crore, Implementing protection works for protecting the infrastructures built on Noler Char at Hatia upazila of Noakhali district from the river erosion of Meghna River with Tk378.05 crore, Shubhadda Khal re-excavation alongside development and protection of both sides of the canal under Keraniganj upazila in Dhaka district, 1st phase with Tk317.59 crore, Mohananda River Dredging and Construction of Rubber Dam under Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila, 2nd revised with an additional cost of Tk64.30 crore, modernization of Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy Children’s Park with Tk603.80 crore, inauguration of two connecting roads from Purbachal 300 feet road to Madani Avenue with Tk310 crore, and construction of new building for Bagerhat Collectorate with Tk130.20 crore.
The other projects are: Construction of Patuakhali Export Processing Zones with Tk1,442.78 crore, Construction of Borobhanga Bridge on the 25-kilometre of Sylhet (Telikhal)-Sultanpur-Balaganj (Z-2013) Highway under Sylhet Division with Tk126.77 crore, Ramerkanda-Lakirchar connecting road development project under Munshiganj Roads Division with Tk514.57 crore, establishment of 500-bedded hospital and ancillary building in Jessore, Cox’s Bazar and Pabna and Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Nurul Haque Modern Hospital, Noakhali, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk1,312.43 crore, Child, Maternal and health management component: Modernization of diagnostic imaging system at medical college hospitals of eight divisional cities, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk194.55 crore, Expansion of infrastructures and academic operations of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk387.33 crore, Leaving No One Behind: Improving Skills and Economic Opportunities for the Women and Youths in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh with Tk176.88 crore, establishment of gas distribution pipeline network at Rangpur, Nilphamari, Pirganj town and adjacent areas, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk68.50 crore, construction of Syedpur 150MW Simple Cycle based power plant, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk248.93 crore and Economic Census 2023 with Tk579.53 crore.
