ECNEC approves 8 projects involving Tk 28.87 billion
FE Report | Wednesday, 15 October 2014
ECNEC Tuesday revised a project for setting up railway track at an inflated cost, although construction work under the project has not started even two years after its approval in 2012.
Presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) revised the project along with approval of seven others at its meeting in the capital.
The total cost of the eight approved projects is Tk 28.87 billion, said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal after the meeting.
ECNEC revised the setting up of 3rd and 4th dual-gauge double-track line between Dhaka-Tongi section and doubling dual-gauge Tongi-Joydebpur section project of the Bangladesh Railway (BR) at a cost of Tk 11.07 billion.
It is 30.43 per cent higher than the cost in 2012. In that year ECNEC approved the project at a cost of Tk 8.49 billion, BR officials said.
The state-owned BR undertook the 48.80-km (45-km main line and 3.8-km loop line) railway track upgradation project in 2012 with financial support under the Indian line of credit (LoC).
ECNEC also approved a Tk 1.65 billion cost project, titled improvement of road safety at black spots on the national highways.
Under the project, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) will reconstruct 144 accident-prone points on the national highways across the country for ensuring road safety through cutting accident rates.
The ECNEC meeting also approved two projects, under which ten 20-storied buildings will be constructed at Azimpur and Motijheel government colonies for increasing accommodation facility of the public servants.
The Azimpur project will cost Tk 2.20 billion, while the Motijheel project will cost Tk 1.76 billion.
ECNEC also endorsed Tk 1.21 billion cost setting up of switching station for rural electrification project, Tk 9.09 billion improvement of livelihood at the haor region through flood management project, construction of a bridge on Dhonagoda River at Matlab project, and mobile library expansion project of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra.