This time ECNEC has approved 9 projects worth Tk 20,000 crore

News Desk: The meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 9 projects at a cost of around Tk 19,644.56 crore. Of this, the government will provide Tk 6,599.06 crore from its own funds and will borrow Tk 13,244 crore from foreign institutions. The approval was given at an ECNEC meeting held on Tuesday (February 18th) morning, chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Sheikh Hasina.

The Prime Minister took part in the meeting via video conference from Ganobhaban and the concerned ministers-secretaries at the NEC in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Planning Minister MA Mannan gave a detailed presentation at a press conference at NEC at noon after the ECNEC meeting.

Of the projects approved on this day, three are revised projects and six are new projects. Among the revised projects, the first amendment has been made in the Ministry of Shipping's 'Construction of the first terminal and ancillary facilities at Payra seaport'.

The original cost of the project was Tk 3,982.10 crore. In the amendment, the expenditure has been increased by Tk 534.65 crore to Tk 4,517.65 crore. The duration of the project has also been extended. The project, which started in January 2019, was supposed to be completed by December 2021, but now it has been extended to June 2023. The Ministry of Information's 'Bangladesh Betar, Sylhet Center Modernization and Installation of Digital Broadcasting Equipment' project has also been amended for the first time. The main cost of the project is Tk 56.22 crore.

In the amendment, the expenditure has been increased from Tk 31.06 crore to Tk 6.29 crore. The project, which started in July 2016, was scheduled to be completed in June 2020. The duration of the project has been extended by two years till June 2022. The Ministry of Water Resources has approved the second amendment of the project 'Conservation work to protect different areas from erosion of both banks of Halda river in Hathazari and Raozan upazilas of Chittagong district'. The original cost of the project was Tk 212.06 crore.

In the second amendment, its cost has increased by Tk 105.96 crore. At present, the cost of the project has increased to a total of Tk 349.64 crore. Among the six new projects approved is the Department of Posts and Telecommunications 'BTCL's Internet Protocol (IP) Network Development and Expansion' project. It will cost 945 crore 90 lakh rupees. It will be implemented from April 2021 to June 2023. Road Transport and Highways Department's 'Sasek Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development' project has been approved at a cost of Tk 16,917.59 crore.

The government will provide 3 thousand 73 crore 90 lakh and ADB will give a loan of 13 thousand 244 crore 79 lakh. It will be implemented from January 2021 to December 2028. The Ministry of Water Resources has approved the 'West Gopalganj Integrated Water Management (Phase I)' project. The project has been approved at a cost of Taka 135.51 crore.

The project will be implemented from January 2021 to December 2023. The ministry's 'Daulatkhan municipality and Chakighat under Daulatkhan upazila of Bhola district and other high-risk areas have been protected from the erosion of the Meghna river'.

It will cost 522 crore 57 lakh rupees. It will be implemented from January 2021 to December 2024. The Ministry of Agriculture's 'Establishment of Family Nutrition Gardens in Uncultivated Fallen Lands and Backyard Homes' project has been approved at a cost of Tk 437.47 crore.

The project will be implemented from January 2021 to December 2023.