The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a project for upgrading Hatirjheel-Rampura Bridge-Banasri-Shekherjaiga-Amulia-Demra Highway into four-lane.
The project, costing Tk1,209.60 crore, was approved in a bid to complete necessary land acquisition and rehabilitation works with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair on Tuesday.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan, said total nine projects, at an estimated cost of Tk4,324.61 crore were approved on the day, reports BSS.
Of the approved nine projects, eight are new while another one is a revised project.
“Of the total project cost, Tk4,249.09 crore will come from Bangladesh government’s own fund, Tk5.68 crore from the concerned organization, while the remaining Tk69.84 crore will come as project assistance,” he said.
The Department of Roads and Highways under the Road Transport and Highway’s Division will implement the project by December 2024 which will support the upgradation of this highway into four-lane, Planning Minister said.
Mannan said this is a supporting project and once the main project works of upgrading the 13.50 kilometer highway including Chittagong Road Circle and Tarabo Link Road is completed under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) initiative, the journey from and to Chittagong and Sylhet from the Dhaka will be easier alongside smoother transportation of goods.
The main project operations include some 25.47 hectares of land acquisition, compensation and rehabilitation alongside other necessary consultancy and procurement works.
The ECNEC meeting also approved a project for conducting dredging at Mongla Port Channel with an estimated cost of Tk793.73 crore in a bid to turn this port into an international one.
The main objective of the project is to ensure necessary depth for handling capacity of ships having 9.5 to 10 meter draft at Mongla Port Jetty.
The project operations include some 157.75 lakh cubic meter dredging by cutter suction dredger, some 58.34 lakh cubic meter dredging by trailing suction hopper dredger, construction of 2 lakh cubic meter dykes and 0.50 lakh cubic meter geotube dykes.
The Planning Minister said once this project is implemented, it would help to boost the capacity of Mongla Port to a big extent and thus meeting its growing demand for handling containers.
Referring to the approval of procurement of necessary vehicles and equipment for Rangpur City Corporation with Tk113.69 crore, Mannan said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the authorities concerned including the Mayor of Rangpur City Corporation to ensure proper utilization of these proposed vehicles, machineries and equipment.
The Premier also renewed her directive to conduct necessary dredging in the river channels side by side maintaining austerity in the use of water.
The other projects approved in the meeting are construction of Rajshahi WASA Bhaban with Tk65.99 crore, Bhandal Juri Water Supply project, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk958.85 crore, upgradation of Narayanganj Link Road (from Signboard to Chashara) into six-lane with Tk449.58 crore, Agricultural Development at Rajshahi Division through extension of modern technology with Tk147.03 crore, Protection of River Bank near Doarabazar upazila parishad complex, Rokkhibaor and Betura on the right side of River Surma under Sunamganj district with Tk191.67 crore and Arial Kha River bank protection and dredging under Shibchar upazila in Madaripur district with Tk394.47 crore.
Ministers, state ministers, planning commission members and secretaries concerned were present at the meeting.
