The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Thursday approved a large number of 44 projects involving an estimated cost of some Tk39,094 crore.
The approval came from the Ecnec meeting presided over by Prime Minister and Ecnec Chairperson Sheikh Hasina at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e Bangla Nagar area.
“A total of 45 projects were placed in the meeting. But 44 schemes have been approved and the rest one has been sent back,” Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters.
Among the overall cost of Tk39,094.33 crore, some Tk29,953.44 crore will come from the national exchequer, while Tk7,579.73 crore from the foreign sources and Tk1,561.16 crore from the own funds of the concerned organizations.
In terms of the cost, the largest three new projects are “Land Acquisition and Utility Transfer for Upgrading Bhanga-Jessore-Benapole Highway into Four-Lane” project involving an estimated cost of Tk6,140.19 crore; “Extended Dhaka Water Supply Resilience” project with Tk4,040 crore; and “Jessore Export Processing Zone area” project with Tk1,642.73 crore.
The other largest projects include “Construction of Town and Union Land Offices across the country (Phase-II)” project with Tk1,595.62 crore; “Integrated infrastructural development of Sylhet City Corporation including extended areas” project with Tk1,459.74 crore; “Upgrading the connecting roads of Lakshmipur, Noakhali and Feni districts with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar into due standard and width” project with Tk1,404.46 crore; “Construction of gas, power and communications infrastructures for Moheshkhali Economic Zone-3 (Dholghata)” with Tk1,195.32 crore; and “Improvement of Urban Public Health Preventive Services” project with Tk1,181.50 crore.
During the meeting, the prime minister asked the authorities concerned to gradually come out from the trend of providing subsidies on different sectors particularly electricity and water in a bid to reduce burden on the state coffer.
"We'll have to come out from the practice of subsidies in phases. Utilities like electricity and water are universal and are used by all. All from a minister to a cleaner equally enjoy the benefits of such subsidies," Mannan quoted the prime minister as saying.
The premier suggested fixing area-wise and income-wise charges for electricity and water services.
