The government on Tuesday endorsed the country's two more Metrorail constructing projects at a combine cost of Tk 938 billion.
Presided over by the Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the two MRT line projects along with eight others at its meeting in Dhaka.
Emerging from the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the ECNEC approved the building of 31km MRT-1 project at Tk 525.61 billion cost and the 20km MRT-5 (northern route) project at Tk 412.38 billion cost.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) will build the proposed underground metrorails--MRT line-1 from Airport to Kamlapur and the MRT line-5 (Northern Route) from Hamayetpur to Vatara of the capital city Dhaka, he said.
According to the project proposal, the DMTCL will build the main part of MRT-1 (16.215km) from Hazrat Shahjalal Airport-Airport Terminal 3-Khilkhet-Jamuna Future Park-Notunbazar-Uttar Badda-Badda-Hatirjheel-Rampura-Malibagh-Rajarbagh-Kamlapur. This part will be constructed underground while the rest part (11.369km) from Notun Bazar to Purbachal will be built as elevated ones.
The Japanese donor --JICA-will provide Tk 394.50 billion as loan while the remaining Tk 131.11 billion will come from the Bangladesh government's internal resources.
The MRT-1 construction work is scheduled to be completed in 2026.
Besides, the partial part of the MRT-5 Northern Route (6.50km) from Hemayetpur to Aminbazar will be built as elevated one and the remaining (13.50km) Aminbazar to Vatara will be constructed as underground one.
For the MRT line-5 (Northern Route), the JICA will lend Tk 292 billion while the Bangladesh government will provide remaining Tk 121.21 billion from its internal resources.
The construction of MRT-5 is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
Among other projects, the ECNEC endorsed the Upgradation of Begumganj-Sonapur portion of Feni-Noakhali National Highway to four-lane (1st revised) at Tk 14.85 billion, Widening of Domar-Chilahati-Daolaganj, Domar-Jhaldhaka and Jhaldakha-Bhadurdargah-Dimla district highway at Tk 4.21 billion, and Widening of Kishoreganj-Karimganj-Chamraghat district highway and construction of Choina-Jashodol-Chouddashata Bazar road at Tk 7.31 billion costs.
Besides, it also approved the Infrastructural development of Dhaka South City Corporation ( 2nd revised) at Tk 17.19 billion, Construction of multi-storey residential flats for the government officials and employees at Paikpara in Mirpur at Tk 10.88 billion, Construction of multistoried residential buildings for the judges (1st revised) at Tk1.29 billion, Irrigation Management Improvement Project (IMIP) for Muhuri Irrigation Project (2nd revised) at Tk 5.80 billion and Reforestation and infrastructure development under Sylhet Forests Department at Tk 700.4 million cost.
Ministers, Planning Commission Members, and Secretaries of relevant ministries were also present at the ECNEC meeting.
Meanwhile UNB add: Revealing the implementation rate of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the first quarter (July-September) of the ongoing fiscal year, MA Mannan said the implementing-agencies could spend 8.06 per cent of the ADP allocation with an expenditure of Tk 173.44 billion, which was 8.25 per cent with an expenditure of Tk 149.27 billion during the same period of the last fiscal year.
Mannan said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to keep the provision of roads and railways in the MRT system in the future without harming the beauty of Hatirjheel during implementation of the MRT Line-1 project.
The Prime Minister directed the relevant authorities to encourage people to use cylinder gas or LPG as no more household gas connections will be provided to any house and flat.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
