The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in its first meeting under the new government endorsed eight development projects involving a total of Tk 18.93 billion.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting held in the city on Tuesday.
Emerging from the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters that the prime minister asked the ministries and agencies to implement the development projects in time meeting the quality standards.
Jatrabari-Demra highway upgrade project is one of the eight projects approved in the meeting.
Under the project, the Jatrabari-Demra highway (from Mayor Hanif Flyover to Sultana Kamal Bridge) would be upgraded into four-lane one at a cost of Tk 3.69 billion to facilitate smooth traffic movement and ease traffic congestion, said the minister.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) will complete the 10km road development project by June 2020.
Mr mannan said the Jatrabari-Demra-Shimrail-Narayanganj (Chashara) highway is an important regional highway linked to two important highways-Dhaka-Chittagong National Highway (N-1) and Dhaka-Sylhet National Highway (N-2).
That is why the upgrade of this road is crucial for the country, he added.
Under the project, the Jatrabari-Demra highway would be made four-lane one, ensuring smooth vehicular movement and separate service lanes would be earmarked for motorised and non-motorsied vehicles in a bid to reduce the risk of accidents.
Other projects approved at the ECNEC meeting include Chollisha (Bagra)-Kunia-Medni-Razurbazar link road project involving Tk 2.57 billion, Eradication of PPR Disease and control of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease project (Tk 3.45 billion), Production and marketing of nutrition-enriched high-value crops to alleviate poverty project (Tk 2.06 billion), and Development of existing seven textile vocational institutes and establishment of six textile vocational institutes project (Tk 3.54 billion).
The ECNEC also endorsed the Museum building extension and construction of other physical infrastructure of Bangladesh Folk Art and Craft Foundation project involving Tk 1.47 billion, Extension of Gopalganj BSCIC Industrial Estate (3rd Revision) project (Tk 1.03 billion), and Construction of nine narrow bridges and replacement of nine dilapidated bridges with RCC/Girder bridges on Gobindaganj-Chatak-Doarabazar road (Tk 1.12 billion).
Ministers, state ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the meeting.
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