Metro Rail project cost rise by Tk11,486cr gets Ecnec nod
With a 1.16km extension of the rail line, the project cost reaches Tk33,472 crore
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved the second revision of the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development (Line-6) project with an additional cost of Tk11,486.92 crore.
With the latest revision, the length of the metro rail (Line-6) increases by 1.16km – from Motijheel to Kamalapur – while the total cost reaches Tk33,472 crore.
The approval came from the first Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year (FY23) with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
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She joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban while ministers, state ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the event in person at the Planning Commission office in the Capital.
"The extension to Kamalapur has increased the metro rail project cost from Tk21,985 crore to Tk 33,472 crore. Apart from the additional expenditure, the duration of the project has been extended for the second time by one and a half years," Planning Minister MA Mannan said while briefing reporters after the Ecnec meeting.
As per the revised proposal, the project will be completed by December 2025, he noted, adding that the Uttara to Agargaon portion will be launched by December this year.
"Our prime minister has ordered providing flats at a lower price to those whose land will be acquired for the metro rail expansion. Besides, she also instructed us to keep enough space for car parking at metro rail stations, including those at Farmgate, Secretariat, and Motijheel. The premier also called for keeping parking systems for private cars and public buses."
The planning minister further added that a total of 8 projects were approved on Tuesday involving an overall estimated cost of Tk15,857 crore. Of them, four are fresh projects while four others are revised ones, he added.
The fresh projects are to upgrade Hathazari to Raozan Road into four lanes, develop Itakhola-Mothkhola-Katiadi Road and Noyapara-Araihazar-Narsingdi-Raipura regional highway and construct a pipeline from Dhonua to Mymensingh for gas supply.
The revised projects are Protecting Khagrachhari Town and Adjacent Infrastructures from River Erosion, Population-based Uterine and Breast Cancer Screening Programme with Electronic Data Tracking, Upazila Governance and Development Project and Greater Dinajpur Rural Infrastructure Development.
