The government approved on Tuesday a record number of 20 development projects at a total cost of Tk 325.25 billion ahead of the national election.
Presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) endorsed the projects at its meeting at the Planning Commission (PC) in Dhaka.
After the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal at a press briefing said 14 projects out of 20 are fresh ones while the remaining six are revised ones.
"The present government holds ECNEC meeting almost every week where it approved maximum 16 projects in the past. But today it has endorsed a record number of 20 projects. As the election is nearing, a large number of projects have been approved," said a senior PC official.
The planning minister said out of the total project cost, Tk 154.94 billion will come from government's internal sources while Tk 116.56 billion from implementing agencies' own fund and the rest Tk 53.74 billion as project assistance.
The ECNEC approved a project for carrying fuel oil through pipeline from Chattogram to Dhaka at a cost of Tk 28.61 billion.
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources will implement the project by December 2020.
The planning minister said once the project is implemented, it will be possible to transport fuel oil in lesser time and in a cost-efficient way. The system loss in fuel oil transportation will also reduce, he added.
The ECNEC also endorsed a mega project to set up a granular urea fertiliser factory at Ghorashal in Polash upazila of Narsingdi district at a cost of Tk 104.61 billion aiming to meet the country's growing demand for fertiliser.
The annual production capacity of the proposed factory will be 0.924 million tonnes.
The other projects approved by the ECNEC are Bangladesh: Emergency Assistance Project (LGED portion) at a cost of Tk 2.97 billion, Construction, renovation and development of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Killa at Tk 19.57 billion, Emergency Assistance Project-BREB portion (Electrification for the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals taking shelter in Cox's Bazar) at Tk 1.04 billion, Rural connectivity improvement at Tk 36.67 billion, Upgrading Gobindaganj-Ghoraghat-Birampur-Fulbari-Dinajpur (R-585) regional highway at Tk 8.83 billion, and Development and rehabilitation of important and affected roads under Khulna City Corporation at Tk 6.07 billion.
Ground level heightening, wave protection and embankment protection works of Mithamain army establishment in Mithamain upazila under Kishoreganj district at Tk 3.05 billion, Protecting the right embankment of Gangachara River under Rangpur district and Teesta River under Rangpur Sadar upazila (1st revised) at Tk 1.69 billion, and Protecting both embankments of Karnaphuli and Ichamati Rivers, Shilok canal and other canals under Rangunia, Boalkhali and Kaptai upazilas at Tk 3.99 billion were also approved.
The rest of the projects are: Developing Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Road (N-1) at Tk 4.58 billion, Cross-border road network improvement project (1st revised) at Tk 36.84 billion, Establishment of new campus of Jagannath University: land acquisition and development at Tk 19.21 billion, Establishment of Fire Service and Civil Defence Station in important (revised) upazila headquarters (2nd revised) at Tk 4.19 billion, Establishment of Shaheed M Mansur Ali Medical College and 500-bed Medical College Hospital, Sirajganj (1st revised) at Tk 8.83 billion, Extending infrastructural facilities of existing 12 existing cadet colleges in the country at Tk 4.28 billion, Rural infrastructures development (Cumilla, Brahmanbaria and Chandpur districts) (2nd revised) at Tk 7.69 billion, Construction of Kodamrasul Bridge over River Shitalakhya near ghat number 5 under Narayanganj City Corporation at Tk 5.90 billion and Flood control, and Road-cum-embankment protection and drainage works for Bangladesh Economic Zone at Mirsarai under Chattogram (1st revised) at Tk 16.57 billion.
Ministers, PC members and government high officials were present at the meeting.
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