ECNEC clears 24 projects including one for Rohingyas

Gb news24 desk//

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved 24 development projects with an outlay of Taka 24,740 crore, including a multi-sector assistance project to tackle Rohingya crisis.

The approval came at the ECNEC’s 12th meeting in the current fiscal held at the NEC conference room with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal briefed journalists about the outcome of the meeting. He said the government would provide Taka 19,361 crore from the national exchequer while the organizations concerned would contribute Taka 306 crore from own fund and Taka 5,072 crore would come as project assistance.

Of the projects approved, 19 are new and five revised ones.

Kamal said the “multi-sector project to tackle Rohingya crisis on urgent basis” involving Taka 1,057 crore has been taken as “it’s our responsibility to look after them (Rohingya) as long as they are in Cox’s Bazar”.

“When the Rohingya people will return to their country, the local people will enjoy the infrastructural facilities as they have suffered a lot,” he added.

The project envisages, inter alia, setting up 23 cyclone shelter centres, 30 multipurpose community services centres, development of 203.50-kilometre roads, strengthening and widening 17.15-kilometre roads, and constructing a number of footpaths, drains, bridges and culverts.

The planning minister said the ECNEC okayed another project setting up 23 polytechnic institutes in different districts across the country.

About the polytechnic institute project, he said the Technical and Madrasah Education Division will implement the ‘Establishment of Polytechnic Institutes in 23 Districts Project’ by June 2021 at an estimated cost of Tk 3,691 crore.

He said the polytechnic institutes will be set up in the 23 districts where there is no government polytechnic institute now.

Mustafa Kamal said there are now 49 polytechnic institutes, including four exclusively for women, across the country but there is no polytechnic institute in 23 districts.

The other 22 approved projects include ‘Construction of dual gauge rail line from Bagura to Shaheed M Monsur Ali Station, Sirajganj project’ at an estimated cost of Tk 5,579 crore; ‘Construction of new rail line from Iswardi to Pabna (2nd revised) project’ with Tk 1,737 crore; ‘Construction of internal roads, drains and footpaths of 1-5 zones of Gazipur City Corporation’ with Tk 1,510 crore; ‘Development of telecommunication and ICT infrastructure, human resources and technical capacity of DGFI project’ with Tk 1,272 crore; ‘Widening Madani Avenue-Balu River road (Major Road-5) and construction of Balu River-Shitalakkhya River road (Major Road-5) (Ist Phase) project’ with Tk 1,259 crore.

The projects also include ‘Construction of 20-storey new office Bhaban in Bangladesh Secretariat project’ with the cost of Tk 420 crore; ‘Construction of 3rd Karnaphuli Bridge (3rd phase) project’ with Tk 797 crore; ‘Construction of link road from Rajuk Purbachal 300 feet highway to Madani avenue-Sylhet highway’ with Tk 456 crore; Development and extension of physical infrastructure of the Bangladesh Post Office project’ with Tk 479 crore; Protection and development of graveyards of Shaheed freedom fighters and other war heroes (1st phase) project’ with Tk 460 crore; ‘Construction of nine residential tower bhabans for Bangladesh Police in different areas of Bangladesh project’ with Tk 927 crore; and ‘National Academy for Autism and Neurodevelopment Disabilities (NAAND) (2nd revised) project’ with Tk 422 crore. Among the other projects are ‘Establishment of permanent campus of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University project’ with Tk 1,183 crore; ‘Construction of Bangabandhu Military Museum (1st revised) project’ with Tk 655 crore; ‘Establishment of nine government secondary schools project’ with Tk 435 crore; ‘Construction of BNA Bangabandhu Complex, Patenga, Chattogram project’ with Tk 358 crore; and Smallholder agricultural competitiveness (SACP) project’ with Tk 780 crore.

The remaining projects are ‘Strengthening activities of the agriculture training institutes project’ with Tk 117 crore; ‘BSCIC Chemical Palli, Dhaka project’ with Tk 201 crore, Strengthening and modernizing Gazi Wires Ltd project with Tk 68.98 crore; ‘Construction and Development of damaged roads, drains and footpaths in different areas of Dhaka North City Corporation project’ with Tk 694 crore; and ‘Conducting feasibility study for 500-600 megawatt LNG based combined cycle power plant and construction of gas supply line project’ with Tk 169 crore.