Ecnec approves 8 projects worth over Tk10,102cr

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has approved eight projects at an estimated cost of more than Tk10,102 crore.

The government will provide nearly Tk10,069 crore from its own fund while the rest will come from implementing agencies.

The second Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year was held on Tuesday with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presiding over it through videoconference from her official residence, Ganobhaban.

The other Ecnec members joined the meeting from the National Economic Council Auditorium in the Sher-E-Bangla Nagar area in the capital.

Planning Minister MA Mannan briefed media following the meeting.

He told journalists that the Ecnec approved a project to develop road infrastructure and drainage systems for 18 wards newly incorporated in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) at an estimated cost of over Tk4,025 crore to be borne fully by the government.

The project will provide security in public transportation and reduce traffic jams on 183km of roads, and will eliminate waterlogging through construction of 234km of sewers and 28.51km of canal development, said the minister.

The committee also approved the second revision proposal for a project to repair damaged infrastructure, sewerage and footpaths in the DNCC areas at an estimated cost of about Tk1,082 crore.

The tenure of the project, which expired in December 2018 after beginning in December 2016, has been extended up to December this year.

The Ecnec also approved two more projects to strengthen the Department of Land Records and Surveys to ensure digital land survey and automation of land management. The projects will cost over Tk2,409 crore.

Planning Minister MA Mannan said the prime minister expressed concern over influential people grabbing the land of the poor, and asked the authorities concerned to safeguard the existing ownership of land of the poor, ethnic and religious minorities.

The prime minister also issued an order to not build bridges anywhere before considering economic and environmental feasibility.

The Ecnec approved another project to provide agro equipment at half price to farmers at an estimated cost of Tk3,020 crore. The project aims to hand over 51,300 machines to farmers.

Apart from this, the Ecnec approved a project for increasing production of oilseeds, power supply project (Phase II) and power distribution system development project through installation of solar panels in remote areas of Chattogram Hill Tracts and Rangpur zone project.