ECNEC nod to Tk 18b BR fleet upgradation scheme

The government Tuesday approved a project of Tk 17.91 billion to purchase 20 diesel electric locomotives and 150 passenger carriages for Bangladesh Railway (BR).

It was one of 16 development projects approved with a total cost of Tk 159.69 billion by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at its meeting in Dhaka, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Emerging from the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told reporters that the railway fleet upgradation scheme would help improve the passenger services as well as increase the revenue for the BR.

The BR fleet was still struggling with the shortage of engines and passenger carriages, he added.

The minister said Tk 38.39 billion of the total costs for all 16 projects would come as project aid, Tk 118.30 billion from the internal resources and the rest Tk 3.0 billion from the implementing agencies' own funds.

He said the ECNEC meeting endorsed three big rural infrastructure development schemes, including Mymensingh Region Rural Infrastructure Development Project at a cost of Tk 31.83 billion, Rangpur Division Rural Infrastructure Development Phase-II Project at Tk 28.85 billion, and the Rural Infrastructure Development at Rajshahi Division (excluding Sirajganj) project at Tk 20.80 billion.

ECNEC also endorsed projects like modernisation of agricultural information services and strengthening of agricultural information and communications project at Tk 687.1 million, infrastructure development of the existing polytechnic institutes to create scope for enrolling more students at Tk 25.62 billion, setting up of four women polytechnic institutes in Sylhet, Barisal, Mymensingh and Rangpur project at Tk 3.54 billion and infrastructure development at Kobi Kazi Nazrul Islam University project at Tk 4.50 billion, setting up of Mirsarai 150-megwatt dual-fuel power plant at Tk 10.63 billion and installation of transmission grid to ensure uninterrupted power to the Mirsarai economic zone at Tk3.24 billion.

Ministers, Planning Commission members and high officials of the commission and different ministries were present at the meeting.

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