The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved a Tk 14.54 billion project to upgrade the power distribution system of the Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC).
At a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the ECNEC also approved four other projects.
The meeting was held at the Planning Commission in the city.
Emerging from the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters that the ECNEC approved a total of five projects involving a combined cost of Tk 25.70 billion.
Of the total cost, Tk 14.85 billion will come from internal resources of the government, Tk 10.02 billion from external resources as project aid and the remaining Tk 826 million from the implementing agencies' own fund, he said.
Under the power distribution system upgrade project, the DPDC has proposed to spend a total Tk 270 million on consultancy services.
The electricity provider in the capital city will spend Tk 145 million in fees for one consultant to supervise nine electricity substation installation and rehab works under the 'Construction and rehab of substations, installation of capacitor banks and development of smart grid system under the DPDC area project'.
Under the project, it would also send 40 people to Europe and the USA spending Tk 1.1 million for each person to get firsthand knowledge of how to handle the substations and smart power distribution system.
Not only that, the power provider would also purchase 11 vehicles spending Tk 31.31 million to supervise the nine substation installation and rehab work, all of which are located inside Dhaka city.
And the registrations fees and fuel for these vehicles will cost Tk 8.60 million more.
When asked about such unnecessary spending under the DPDC's project, Planning Minister MA Mannan said: "Project approval does not mean that the agency has been given a blank check. We can check and review it further."
"We will not force the ministries to cut their necessary expenditure. They can spend money on necessary development work. But we will not allow unnecessary spending of public-taxed money," he added.
Mr Mannan, however, expressed his concern about the DPDC's billing system, saying that his family members too faced some problems regarding its services.
Under the distribution system upgrade project, the DPDC would build two 132/33kv and four 33/11kv substations, renovate three existing ones, replace 33kv Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) with the existing Air Insulated Switchgear (AIS) system, and introduce smart grid system on pilot basis.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to work out ways to ensure social dignity of the freelancers (independent IT professionals).
She said this when the meeting approved the setting up of Sheikh Kamal IT training and incubation centre project involving Tk 7.99 billion.
The ECNEC also approved Buffalo research and development project at a cost of Tk 631.7 million.
The meeting also revised two other projects: Strengthening of publicity for the improvement of the rural population project (1st revised) raising the cost by Tk 477.33 million to Tk 1.07 billion, and the Expansion of artificial insemination activities and implementation of embryo transfer technology project (1st revised) increasing the cost by Tk 2.06 billion to Tk 4.72 billion.
Ministers, members of the Planning Commission and secretaries of the relevant ministries attended the meeting.
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