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Published on August 11, 2015
The procurement of the dredgers and equipment is in response to the "Feasibility Study of Capital Dredging and Sustainable River Management in Bangladesh (FSCD & SRMB).
The study suggested for collecting some 216 cutter suction dredgers for dredging some 23 big and medium rivers.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) under the Shipping Ministry will implement the project by December 2019.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved the project at its 3rd meeting in the current fiscal held at NEC conference room in city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal said the ECNEC cleared a total of seven development projects including the procurement of dredgers with the outlay of Taka 2,384 crore.
"Of the total project cost, the government will provide Taka 2,372.85 crore from the national exchequer while the organization concerned will contribute the remaining Taka 12 crore from own fund," he added.
Of the projects six are new and one is revised.
Kamal said under the procurement of dredger project, some 10 dredgers would be collected in the first two years while the remaining 10 dredgers in the last two years of the project period.
The BIWTA has 18 dredgers now and three more dredgers would be procured by end of this year increasing the number to 21 dredgers and annual dredging capacity of the organization would stand at 110 lakh cubic meters. But, the country requires some 882.53 lakh cubic meter dredging every year to maintain river navigability.
The meeting also approved Sonahat Land Port Development Project with Taka 36.50 crore. Bangladesh Land Port Authority would develop the necessary infrastructures of the land port.
The ECNEC gave nod to another project titled construction of two 15-storey residential buildings for the JCOs and other officials at BGB headquarters with Taka 58.69 crore.
The other projects approved in the meeting are Godagari-Amnura-Nachol-Parbatipur-Adda road development (TK 62.49 cr), road development and drain-cum-footpath construction of Rangpur city corporation (Tk 60 cr), establishment of Sheikh Russell Aviary and echo park at Rangunia, Chittagong (Tk 40.04 cr)and extending irrigation facility and removing water logging through increasing surface water availability in Naogaon district (Tk 79.13 cr).
Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting while Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present.
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