Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presiding over an ECNEC meeting in Dhaka on Tuesday The government approved on Tuesday a 150-megawatt oil-fired power plant at the northern township of Syedpur to improve electricity supply there.
According to officials, construction of the simple-cycle facility will cost Tk 10.01 billion.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board will implement the project by June 2021.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) endorsed the project and eight others involving a combined cost of Tk 164.33 billion (16,433 crore).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the weekly meeting in Dhaka.
After the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the Syedpur power plant would meet the growing demand for electricity in the north for rapid industrialisation.
The facility would also boost the country's overall power generation capacity, he added.
The ECNEC also okayed two power-distribution projects involving Tk 22.15-billion for Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions to bring 0.415 million (4.15 lakh) fresh customers under the coverage.
The distribution line, substation extension and rehabilitation project in Rajshahi has been approved with an outlay of Tk 10.91 billion in cost.
The Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) Limited will implement the project by June 2022.
The NESCO will also execute the Tk 11.24 billion distribution line, substations extension and rehabilitation project in Rangpur by the same deadline.
Meanwhile, the premier asked the land ministry to frame a national policy for optimum utilisation of land for both agriculture and industrial purposes everywhere, said Mr Mannan.
She also directed the railways ministry to transform all the metre-gauge tracks into broad-gauge ones in future.
Sheikh Hasina also gave instructions to strengthen the capacity of the Bangladesh Railway through upgrading its workshops to locally manufacture spare parts.
Mr Mannan said the PM stressed the need for developing a nationwide integrated communication system comprising roads, railways and waterways.
Of the total amount of Tk 164.33 billion for the nine projects, Tk 136.20 billion will come from internal resources and Tk 2.86 billion from an organisation's own fund.
The remaining Tk 25.27 billion will come from external resources as project assistance, he added.
Electricity connection to 1.95 million customers through extending rural electrification (first time revised) at Tk 86.91 billion was also endorsed.
Meanwhile, bdnews24.com adds: The government plans to grant people access to all public transport with one ticket as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed the agencies to build an integrated communication system.
The instruction was given at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday.
"In the meeting, the prime minister has ordered an integrated communication system for rail, road and marine transports so that people can travel in one ticket. Such systems are in place in advanced countries," said Planning Minister MA Mannan after the meeting.
The prime minister also gave some instructions for the development of the communication system, particularly railways.
"The prime minister directed officials to convert remaining rail gauges to broad gauge to modernise the rail link of the country in the near future," said the minister.
The prime minister also put emphasis on BMRE [Balancing, Modernisation, Rehabilitation, Expansion] to improve the efficiency of the railway sector.
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