The government has revised the "fast-track" Padma railway link project, raising its cost by 12 per cent, though the construction work has not started yet.
Presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in Dhaka endorsed Tuesday the proposal for revising 172-kilometre railway line project extending the cost to Tk 392.50 billion from the current Tk 349.88 billion.
In early 2016, the ECNEC approved the Padma railway link project for launching the construction work from Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga-Jessore alignment through the under-construction Padma Bridge. But its construction work has not started yet, officials said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presiding over the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting at NEC Conference Centre in the capital on Tuesday — Focus Bangla
After the meeting, planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said Tuesday the meeting approved and revised a total of 16 projects, including the Padma railway link, involving Tk 962.35 billion combined.
"Of the total cost, Tk 526.85 billion will come from the state exchequer, Tk 3.29 billion from respective implementing agencies' fund while the rest Tk 432.21 billion from the development partners as the project assistance," he added.
Of the 16 approved projects, 12 are new while the rest four are revised.
The government considers the railway project to be one of its success stories as it wants to start the new railway route from the very days of the Padma Bridge operation.
On April 27, the government signed a US$ 2.667 billion loan agreement with China to get the project bankrolled.
China is providing a major portion of the costs for the railway project and a Chinese company -- China Railway Group -- has already been appointed to build the track.
According to the revised project proposal, building of the railway track will require two more years up to June 2024 from the current deadline of June 2022.
A Bangladesh Railway official said the Padma railway operation would be delayed, missing the 2022 deadline as they have failed to begin the project work due to the delay in loan confirmation by the Chinese government.
"We had signed a commercial contract with the China Railway Group about one and a half years ago for starting the construction work of the railway line. But the absence of loan confirmation had delayed its construction work," "Since the loan agreement has been signed, the construction will start shortly," he added.
The ECNEC also approved the 4th Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4) involving Tk 383.97 billion for upgrading the base of the primary education in Bangladesh.
Mr Kamal said the Prime Minister has asked the authorities concerned to put emphasis on teaching foreign language like English at primary level apart from Bangla.
She also underscored the need for disseminating knowledge on basic traffic rules among the children at the primary level, the minister said.
The PM also asked the Bangladesh Food and Sugar Industries Corporation not to produce sugar but refine the imported raw sugar at the mills under its control.
She also laid emphasis on cultivating sugar beets at the nearby areas of the sugar mills and thus produce sugar from those, according to the planning minister.
The ECNEC approved the establishment of effluent treatment plants at 14 state-owned sugar mills at Tk 851 million.
The other projects approved in the Tuesday's ECNEC meeting are: Rupsha 800-megawatt (MW) Combined Cycle Power Plant Project at Tk 84.98 billion, the establishment of 500-Bed Hospital and Ancillary Buildings in Jashore, Cox's Bazar, Pabna, Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Jononeta Nurul Haque Modern Hospital at Tk 21.03 billion, the establishment of Ashuganj Inland Container River Port at Tk 12.93 billion, the development of Bangladesh University of Professionals at Tk 8.06 billion, the construction of Information Commission Bhaban at Tk 750.50 million, the modernisation of Bangladesh Betar, Sylhet Center and the instalment of Digital Telecast Equipments at Tk 562.20 million, the construction of three Link Roads including a Connecting Road between Satkhira Road and Bypass Road at Tk 3.94 billion.
Other ECNEC-approved projects include the construction of Multi-storey (13-storey) Residential Flat Project for public servants at Tk 1.68 billion, the installation of Pillars on Banks of the Buriganga, the Turag, the Shitalakkhya and the Balu Rivers, the protection of the River Bank and construction of relevant infrastructures including walkway and jetty (2nd phase) at Tk 8.48 billion, the development of Important Infrastructures of 19 Municipalities at Tk 6.12 billion, and the extension of Dhaka City Drainage Network and Development of Canals at Tk 5.50 billion.
The ECNEC revised the construction of five RAB complexes and one RAB forces training school (1st revised) at Tk 7.11 billion, the construction of new 132/33kV and 33/11kV substation under DPDC Project (1st revised) at Tk 23.88 billion, and the infrastructure development of the 19 important municipalities at Tk 6.12 billion.
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