The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Sunday approved 10 projects involving Tk9,460 crore, including Tk6,477 crore to be spent by rural lawmakers for the infrastructure development of their respective areas.
The approval came at the 24th Ecnec meeting of the outgoing fiscal year (2019-20) held at the NEC conference room in Dhaka on Sunday with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
But the prime minister and Planning Minister MA Mannan joined the meeting from Ganabhaban through a videoconference, reports UNB.
“Today’s Ecnec meeting approved 10 projects and the total estimated cost of the projects is Tk9,460.09 crore. It is a matter of pleasure that the entire money will come from government funds,” said the planning minister at a press briefing after the meeting.
Of the total 10 projects, six are new while the rest four are revised ones.
Talking about “Development of Palli Infrastructures Phase-III Project” involving Tk6,476.65 crore, he said an allocation of Tk20 crore will be provided to each MPs representing rural areas, not urban ones, to improve only rural infrastructures like roads, bridges, and culverts.
MA Mannan said the project will be implemented by June 2024. “I think it will be very useful for the welfare of the people."
According to the project factsheet, all the parliamentary constituencies of the country, except the city corporations, are the project areas.
The main operations of the project include the development of 305.21km upazila roads, 660.37km union roads, 5075.76km village roads, maintenance of 1090.77km village roads, construction of 7992.22 metres of infrastructures on rural roads (construction of small bridges and culverts, each one with less than 100 metres in length).
Meanwhile, the other five fresh projects are, protection of Moulvibazar Sadar, Rajnagar and Kulaura upazilas from erosion by Monu river project involving Tk996.28 crore, development of sustainable water supply, sanitization and hygiene management in haor region project with Tk557.62 crore, reconstruction of 100-metre gauge passenger carriage of Bangladesh Railways (Phase-II) project with Tk74.12 crore, upgradation of Tekerhat-Gopalganj (Haridaspur)-Mollahat (Ghonapara) regional highway with Tk612.58 crore, and reconstruction of Jamalpur District Jail project with Tk210 crore.
The revised projects are, improvement of important regional highways into proper standard and width (Chittagong Zone) (1st revised) project with the rise of Tk256.36 crore (total Tk692.36 crore), increasing fish production by improving water bodies (2nd revised) project with additional Tk116.85 crore (total Tk409 crore), development of important rural infrastructures in greater Patuakhali district (Patuakhali, Barguna districts) (2nd revised) project with the rise of Tk159.60 crore (total Tk691.80 crore), and construction of BAFO Bangabandhu Complex, Jessore (3rd revised) project with no rise in the estimated project cost.
Among others, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Information Minister Dr Mohammad Hasan Mahmud, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Zahid Maleque, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Md Sahab Uddin, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, joined the meeting from the NEC conference room.
