Assess cyclone damages, mend wrecks: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday directed urgently assessing cyclone damages and repairing damaged structures while presiding over an ECNEC meeting that endorsed 11 projects, including two that cost some Tk 84.82 billion.
The prime minister, who is set to visit tomorrow (Thursday) the coastal belt pounded by the cyclone Remal, issued the instructions for the disaster management and relief ministry to do the assessment by Sunday.
She also called for necessary repairs and maintenance in the cyclone-affected areas "on an emergency basis", Planning Minister Abdus Salam said after the ECNEC meeting.
Sheikh Hasina also directed the authorities to repair or build necessary embankments before the advent of rainy season so that "people and crops are not affected by any possible floods", Mr Salam said.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the two aforementioned projects, involving Tk 84.82 billion, among others, for improving life of the stranded Rohingya and the host communities in Bangladesh.
With the go-ahead from the top economic-policy body, the government is undertaking a total of 11 projects, including the two, involving an aggregate cost of Tk 143.37 billion, said the planning minister.
Under the two Rohingya-related projects, thirteen sub-projects will be implemented by 13 government agencies. The Economic Relations Division (ERD) will be coordinating agency for overseeing the project implementation.
Asked about the necessity of both the projects for Rohingya community with borrowed money from the World Bank, the planning minister said they were undertaking the projects to recoup the losses in the Cox's Bazar and adjacent areas due to the influx of stranded Burmese citizens.
"We have not taken loan for improving life of Rohingya community rather we will use those loans for developing the livelihood of our host community in those southern areas," he added.
Of the two projects, one is 'Host and forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals/displaced Rohingya population (DRP) enhancement of lives through a multi-sectoral approach (HELP): infrastructure- related project' that costs Tk 40.82 billion where the World Bank would provide Tk 23.2989 billion as loan and Tk 14.85 billion as grants.
The other project is titled 'Inclusive Services and Opportunities (ISO) for Host Communities and FDMN Populations' at Tk 44.01 billion with the WB providing Tk 21.45 billion as loan and Tk 17.59 billion as grants.
The two projects were approved by the prime minister through Project Planning System (PPS) software for the first time on Tuesday which would eventually infuse more dynamism into the operations of the Planning Commission as well as make those time-bound, Planning Secretary Satyajit Karmakar said.
Mr Satyajit said the prime minister reminded all the concerned officials and stakeholders of the imperative to keep operative the land phones alongside the mobile-phone networks in such calamities, he added.
State Minister for Planning Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Planning Division Senior
Secretary Satyajit Karmakar, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present at the briefing.
The planning secretary further said the World Bank would provide the grants for the Rohingya people while the loan amount would be spent in the areas of health, education, roads, forestry, railways for the benefits of the host community since they are also affected for the forcibly displaced Rohingya taking refuge in the place.
Asked whether the fresh Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next fiscal year (FY25) is loan-dependent, Satyajit said neither the country's economy nor the fresh ADP is loan-based.
"Despite various challenges and adversities, the budget deficit of the country never crossed five percent of GDP," he said.
Replying to another question, Planning Minister Mr Salam said that since the present government put much emphasis on implementation, a record number of 356 projects are going to be completed within this fiscal year ending in June.
The other projects approved in the meeting are: Embankment protection works to avert erosion in various areas of Karnaphuli River and its adjacent canals under Boalkhali upazila in Chattogram district at Tk1.34 billion, Sustainable water management at Bashkhali and Anwara upazilas in South Chattogram (first phase) at Tk 8.74 billion, Construction of modern steel silo with capacity of 48,000 tonnes in Mohadevpur upazila of Naogaon district at Tk 3.67 billion, Rural infrastructural development of Rajshahi, Natore and Chapainawabganj districts at Tk 21 billion, Technical Assistance for Repurposing Agricultural Public Support Towards a Sustainable Food System Transformation in Bangladesh (TARAPS) at Tk 1.80 billion.
The rest are: Procurement of 35 commercial and eight ancillary vessels for BIWTC and construction of two new slipways, (second revised) at an additional cost of Tk 5.19 billion, Upgrading Cumilla-Lalmai-Chandpur-Lakshmipur-Begumganj (R-140) and Begumganj-Sonaimuri-Ramganj regional highway into 4-lane (2nd revised) at an additional cost of Tk 16.79 billion, Cox's Bazar Airport Development (first phase, 4th revised) at an additional cost of Tk 1.29 billion, Establishment of water treatment plant and deep tube-well at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpi Nagar (2nd revised) at an additional cost of Tk 1.29 billion.