Ecnec approves project to upgrade Akhaura-Sylhet railway

The government Tuesday approved a project to convert the Akhaura-Sylhet railway section into a dual-gauge one from metre-gauge, reports UNB.

The project with an estimated cost of Tk 161.04 billion (16,104.44 crore) was approved by The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the meeting held at the NEC conference room with its Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the meeting okayed seven projects involving total estimated cost of Tk 181.91 billion.

All the approved seven projects are new ones.

About the railway project, the Planning Minister said, "The Conversion of the Metre-Gauge Rail Line of Akhaura-Sylhet Section into the Dual-gauge Rail Line project will be implemented by June 2025 by the Bangladesh Railway."

The Chinese government will finance Tk 106.54 billion on G-to-G basis to implement the project, while the rest of the project cost of Tk 54.50 billion will come from the government fund.

Under the project, the existing 225-kilometre matre gauge railway track under the Akhaura-Sylhet section will be converted into a 239.14-kilometre dual gauge track.

Besides, the other major project operations include construction of 49 big and 237 small bridges, signalling works at 22 stations, construction of 16,690 square metres of residential building and some 200.30 acres of land acquisition.

Talking about the Annual Development Programme (ADP), the Planning Minister said the ADP implementation rate during the July-March period of the current fiscal year was 47.24 per cent with an expenditure of Tk 834.32 billion.

The rate was 45.65 per cent with an expenditure of Tk 719.40 billion during the corresponding period of the last financial year, he said.

Mannan said the Prime Minister at the meeting directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the field-level government officials stay with their family members at their workplaces so that they could give utmost concentration on their work.

She also renewed her directive to keep sufficient open face, veranda and ventilation system, fire extinguishing system and ponds and water bodies nearby before setting up any government establishment.

Sheikh Hasina discouraged acquisition of arable land for any development project, Mannan said.

In case of land acquisition, she directed the authorities concerned to provide necessary compensation and ensure rehabilitation of the affected people.

The Prime Minister stressed the need for continuing dredging activities to maintain the navigability of the rivers.

Among the six other projects approved by the Ecnec included the Indian Economic Zone at Mirsarai project in Chattogram involving Tk 919.85 crore to attract more Indian investors in the country.

The Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) will implement the project by June 2021 with an estimated cost of Tk 9.19 billion. Of the cost, Tk 9.14 billion will come under the Indian 3rd Line of Credit.

The remaining approved projects include construction of Chattogram Hill Tracts Regional Parishad Complex Construction Project, Expansion of Magura-Sreepur District Highway including Straightening of Curves, Construction of New Office Building and Auditorium of Khulna Divisional Commissioner, Installation of Safe and Healthy Dry Fish Processing and Indoor Farming Research-related Facilities at the Dhaka and Chattogram Centres of BCSIR.