The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Wednesday approved nine development projects involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 36,695.72 crore
The approvals came at the 11th Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year held at the Cabinet Division conference room at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair.
Of the total cost, Tk36,490.93 crore will be financed from government funds, while Tk204.79 crore will come from the own resources of the concerned organisations.
Among the approved projects, three are new, five are revised and one project received a tenure extension without any cost escalation.
Ministers, state ministers and senior officials concerned attended the meeting, according to a Planning Ministry press release.
The approved projects include two under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs “Establishment of Chattogram Muslim Institute Cultural Complex (2nd revised)” involving an additional Tk8.96 crore and “Construction of Multi-storey Building for the Department of Public Libraries (2nd revised)” with an increased cost of Tk59.58 crore.
The Ecnec also approved the project titled “Upgradation/Reconstruction of Existing Mother and Child Welfare Centres in District Towns into 30-bed Mother and Child Welfare Centres (1st phase)” under the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division at a cost of Tk1,329.53 crore.
Under the ICT Division, the committee approved the “Construction of Supporting Infrastructure for Hi-Tech City-2 (3rd revised)” project with an additional Tk2.20 crore.
Another approved project under the Ministry of Social Welfare is “Construction/Reconstruction of Government Children’s Homes and Chhotomoni Nibash (2nd revised)” with an increased cost of Tk208.26 crore.
The committee also cleared the Ministry of Defence project titled “Construction of 4 x SM Barrack Complexes to Solve Accommodation Problems of Soldiers at Savar Cantonment” involving Tk385.13 crore.
The “Chattogram City Outer Ring Road (Patenga to Sagorika) (4th revised)” project under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works also received approval with an additional Tk77.92 crore.
A major water resources project titled “Padma Barrage (1st phase)” was approved at an estimated cost of Tk34,497.25 crore.
The Ecnec further approved the revised project titled “Construction of Gas Pipeline from Dhanua to Mymensingh for Supplying Gas to Mymensingh Combined Cycle Power Plant (1st revised)” under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources with an additional cost of Tk204.79 crore.
During the meeting, the Ecnec was also informed about two projects costing below Tk50 crore that had already been approved by the Planning Minister.
The projects are “Infrastructure Development Project of Mymensingh Zilla School” and “Construction of Airmen Barrack Complex at Bangladesh Air Force Base Kurmitola.”
