The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved 10 development projects involving a combined cost of Tk 38.91 billion.
The approvals came at an ECNEC meeting held at the Bangladesh Secretariat, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair.
Of the projects, eight received direct approval, while two were endorsed conditionally, officials said.
The Executive Council, however, sent back two other projects, including the Khulna Shipyard Road (3rd revised) project, which has been struggling with implementation delays for a long time.
Additionally, the much-discussed Chinese Economic Zone project was not discussed at the meeting, according to officials.
Among the 10 approved projects, five are new, three are revised and two involve time extensions.
These projects will be financed with Tk 38.11 billion from the government exchequer, while the remaining Tk 803.5 million will come from the independent funds of the implementing agencies.
The newly approved projects include the 'Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Barishal Irrigation Project (Phase-I)' under the Ministry of Water Resources at a cost of Tk 2.83 billion, the 'Development of Anwara-Banshkhali-Taitong-Pekua-Badarkhali-Chakaria (Eidmoni) Regional Highway' under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges at Tk 11.84 billion, and the 'Addition of lifts to circuit houses and deputy commissioners' offices in 33 districts' under the Ministry of Public Administration at Tk 402 million.
The ECNEC also approved the 'Bangladesh Children's Hospital and Institute Expansion Project-2' at a cost of Tk 3.44 billion, the 'Construction of Cancer Center at Dhaka CMH (Phase-II) (1st revised)' at Tk 4.12 billion, the 'Madrasa education management and information system (MEMIS) support project (3rd revised)' at Tk 380.72 million, the project for establishing multimedia classrooms in 653 madrasas across the country at Tk 361.33 million, and the 'Capacity enhancement of existing grid substations and transmission lines project (1st revised)' at Tk 10.44 billion.
The ECNEC conditionally endorsed the 'Construction of integrated upazila land complex project' under the Ministry of Land at a cost of Tk 14.09 billion and the 'Construction of urban buildings of Mymensingh City Corporation project' under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives at Tk 2.15 billion.
The project could be placed before a future ECNEC meeting for approval, officials said.
In addition, six projects costing less than Tk 500 million each, already approved by the Planning Minister, were presented before the ECNEC for consideration.
These projects include water supply and sanitation development in 30 municipalities, waste management and traffic congestion mitigation under Dhaka South City Corporation, expansion of postal services, infrastructure development of the MES Training Cell in Dhaka Cantonment, the second phase of a child marriage prevention programme, and establishment of Paikgachha Agricultural College in Khulna.
Among others, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain, Planning Commission members and senior government officials attended the meeting.
kabirhumayan10@gmail.com
