The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved nine development projects involving an estimated cost of Tk 36,695.72 crore.
The approvals came at the 11th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman at the Cabinet Division Conference Room of the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Of the total project cost Tk 36,490.93 crore will come from government funds while Tk 204.79 crore will be financed from the concerned organisations’ own resources.
Among the approved projects three are new five are revised and one received a time extension without any increase in cost.
According to a Planning Ministry press release ministers state ministers and senior officials attended the meeting.
Under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs ECNEC approved the second revised “Establishment of Chattogram Muslim Institute Cultural Complex” project with an additional cost of Tk 8.96 crore and the second revised “Construction of Multi-storey Building for the Department of Public Libraries” project with an extra Tk 59.58 crore.
A project under the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division titled “Upgradation/Reconstruction of Existing Mother and Child Welfare Centres in District Towns into 30-bed Mother and Child Welfare Centres (1st phase)” was approved with an estimated cost of Tk 1,329.53 crore.
The committee also approved the ICT Division project “Construction of Supporting Infrastructure for Hi-Tech City-2 (3rd revised)” with an additional cost of Tk 2.20 crore.
Another approved project under the Ministry of Social Welfare is the second revised “Construction/Reconstruction of Government Children’s Homes and Chhotomoni Nibash” project with an increased cost of Tk 208.26 crore.
Under the Ministry of Defence ECNEC approved the project “Construction of 4 x SM Barrack Complexes to Solve Accommodation Problems of Soldiers at Savar Cantonment” involving Tk 385.13 crore.
The committee also approved the fourth revised “Chattogram City Outer Ring Road (Patenga to Sagorika)” project under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works with an additional cost of Tk 77.92 crore.
A major project titled “Padma Barrage (1st phase)” under the Ministry of Water Resources received approval with an estimated cost of Tk 34,497.25 crore.
ECNEC also approved the revised project “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 Tk 204.79 crore.
During the meeting ECNEC was informed about two projects costing below Tk 50 crore that had already been approved by the Planning Minister. These are the “Infrastructure Development Project of Mymensingh Zilla School” and “Construction of Airmen Barrack Complex at Bangladesh Air Force Base Kurmitola.”