The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the increased cost of Tk8,286 crore for the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project.
With the additional expenditure in the second revision of the PMB Project, the total estimated cost of construction of the bridge stands at Tk28,793 crore.
The 17th meeting of the ECNEC in current fiscal held at the NEC conference room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area cleared the expenditure of the PMB. ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting.
Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal briefed the newsmen on the outcome of the meeting. He said the ECNEC gave nod to 10 development projects including the PMB project with an outlay of Tk33,185 crore.
"Of the total project cost, the government will provide Tk30,292 crore from the national exchequer while the organizations concerned will contribute Tk22.32 crore from own funds and the remaining Tk2,870 crore would come as project assistance," he added.
State Minister for Finance and Planning M A Mannan was present at the briefing.
Explaining the reason for increased cost of the PMB project, the planning minister said some new components have been included in the project while some 1.3 kilometer area at Mawa end has been added as river training works apart from the addition of some selected bridge end facilities as well as related works.
As per the second revision, he said the main bridge construction cost would rise to Taka 12,133 crore from the first revision of Taka 8,361 crore, river training works cost would rise to Taka 9,400 crore from the first revision's Taka 4,387 crore, related additional works including road widening, ferry ghat shifting, ferry approach road in Mawa and Janzira would cost total Taka 408.16 crore, resettlement cost would rise to Taka 1,515 crore from the first revision's Taka 1,423 crore while the land acquisition cost to rise to Taka 1,298 crore from the first revision's Taka 1086 crore.
Kamal said the project cost witnessed the highest amount of around Taka 5,000 crore increase in river training works.
Apart from the main bridge construction, Taka 1,097 crore has been allotted for Janzira approach road and selected bridge end facilities under the 2nd revision, Taka 193.40 crore for Mawa approach road and selected bridge end facilities and Taka 208 crore for service area-II.
The cost for the project was estimated at Taka 10,161 crore when it was approved on August 20, 2007 initially.
However, it did not include the cost of railway lines on the bridge. After the first revision in January 2011, the estimated cost stood at Taka 20,507 crore, which included rail tracks on the bridge.
