ECNEC revises project cost, timeline once again

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) revised the BSCIC industrial park project on the third occasion increasing the project cost and also extending the implementation time.
The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) has failed to complete the industrial park establishment work in nine years at Sirajganj.
The ECNEC meeting revised the "Setting up of BSCIC industrial park at Sirajganj project" ballooning the cost to Tk 7.19 billion, 90 per cent hike from the original cost of Tk 3.78 billion.
Presided over by Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina, the ECNEC revised the project along with seven others at a combined cost of Tk 229.46 billion at its meeting at the Planning Commission in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The PM-led executive committee approved the BSCIC's industrial park project in Sirajganj in 2010 involving a cost of Tk 3.78 billion.
After that, the cost of the industrial park project was first revised upward to Tk 4.89 billion and then it was revised the second time setting the cost at Tk 6.28 billion. In Tuesday's meeting the cost was further raised by Tk 0.91 billion.
As per the original project proposal, it was supposed to be completed by June 2014.
Now the ECNEC allowed the state-run BSCIC to complete the work by June 2021.
A senior Planning Commission official said it is very sad that a small project like development of land for an industrial park would take 11 years.
After the ECNEC meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan at a briefing told journalists that the executive committee endorsed eight projects at a total cost of Tk 229.45 billion where six are fresh and two are revised ones.
The entire funds for the eight projects will come from the government's internal resources, he added.
It approved a Tk 205.25 billion project for "setting up 329 technical schools and colleges-second phase" on Tuesday, the Directorate of Technical Education under the Ministry of Education will implement the scheme by December 2024.
When the project was placed before the ECNEC, Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to train up local teachers so that they could be sound in technical education, MA Mannan told journalists.
According to the project proposal, SSC (vocational) and HSC (vocational) courses would be launched in those new technical schools and colleges as well as technical and stipend education will be expanded across the country.
The other projects approved by the ECNEC are: Construction of Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) building with enhancement of its capacity at a cost of Tk 1.43 billion, Establishment of Sheikh Hasina Medical College and Hospital and Nursing College, (1st revised) with an additional cost of Tk 2.34 billion, Development of selected educational institutions at Haor areas in Kishoreganj at Tk 3.93 billion, Widening of Betgram-Tala-Paikgachha-Koira road at Tk 3.39 billion, Construction of Laxmipur city connecting road and Laxmipur-Char Alexander-Sonapur-Maizdi road widening project at Tk 3.69 billion, and Bhola (Poran Talukderhat)-Charfashion (Charmanika) regional highway development project at Tk 8.49 billion.
Ministers, Planning Commission members and high officials of the ministries concerned attended the meeting.

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