ECNEC revises greater Faridpur road projects

The government has revised two projects for the second time to improve infrastructure in the greater Faridpur district, enhancing the cost by more than 200 per cent from the original estimations.
Presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday revised the 'Rural infrastructure development of the greater Faridpur project', raising the cost by 209 per cent, and the phase-II of the same project by raising the cost by 257 per cent.
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, after emerging from the ECNEC meeting, said the government's highest economic policy-making body revised the 'Rural infrastructure development of the greater Faridpur project', raising the cost to Tk 17.10 billion from the original Tk 5.53 billion.
The timeframe of the project has also been extended by seven years up to June 2019, from the earlier deadline of June 2012. The project implementation started from June 2009.
ECNEC also revised the 'Rural infrastructure development of the greater Faridpur project (phase-II)', increasing the cost to Tk 14.90 billion from the original estimation of Tk 4.17 billion.
Its project execution deadline has also been extended by five and a half years to June 2019 from the earlier deadline of December 2013.
Under the two projects, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) will develop upazila, union and village-level roads in Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Rajbari districts.
"The major reasons behind the project cost enhancement are inclusion of more rural roads in the project proposal, and rise in bidding price and land acquisition costs," said an official.
Besides, LGED has failed to implement the government-funded projects in time, increasing their costs, he added.
The ECNEC meeting also approved and revised four other projects. The approved projects are: 'Installation of pre-paid gas meters for TGTDCL' at a cost of Tk 7.19 billion, 'Secondary education stipend project' (phase-II) at Tk 7.91 billion, and 'Construction of Itna-Mithamoin-Ostogram road project' at Tk 4.38 billion, whereas the revised project is 'Crop production enhancement through mechanisation of farms' at Tk 2.48 billion.
Ministers, the Planning Commission members, and high officials of the ministries concerned were present at the ECNEC meeting.
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