ECNEC approves 13 projects with Tk 12,415.79 crore

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 13 projects involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 12,415.79 crore including one project to ensure infrastructural development of some 3,250 private secondary schools across the country with Taka 5,237.38 crore.

The approval was given at the 14th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal held at the NEC conference room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said that a total of 13 projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 12,415.79 crore.

"Of the total project cost, Taka 11,822.82 crore will come from the state exchequer while the rest of Taka 592.97 crore from project assistance," he said.

The planning minister said there are currently some 327 government secondary schools alongside 19,357 private secondary schools in the country having some 91,60,365 students.

Under the project titled "Upward extension of selected private secondary schools", there will be upward extension of academic buildings of some 3,250 private secondary schools as well as supply of necessary furniture in those schools, he said.

The meeting also approved the "Establishment of 160 Upazila ICT Training and Resource Center for Education (UITRCE), 2nd phase," project with Taka 845.42 crore.

The planning minister said that Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) under the Secondary and Higher Education Division will implement the project by June 2020.

The main objective of the project, he said, is to set up ICT training and resource centers with all necessary facilities to impart training to the teachers of the secondary level educational institutions on ICT.

AHM Mustafa Kamal said that of the total project cost of Taka 842.45 crore for the ICT Project, the government will provide Taka 252.46 crore while the rest of Taka 592.97 crore will come from Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of South Korea.

The soft-term loan bears a very simple interest rate of 0.1 percent which will be repaid in 40 years with a 15-year grace period.

Under the project, some 160 upazila ICT Resource and Training Centers, each having a two-story building, would be set up in some 125 upazilas.

The planning minister also disclosed the progress of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) during the first half (July-December) of the current fiscal year with the implementation rate witnessing 27.02 percent having an overall expenditure of Taka 44,331 crore.

The implementation rate during the first half of the last fiscal was 27.20 percent with an expenditure of Taka 33,554 crore.

The ECNEC meeting also approved the Upazila Complex Extension (2nd phase) Project with Taka 1925 crore to be entirely borne from the state exchequer. 

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under the Local Government Division will implement the project by June 2022.

Planning Commission officials said out of the 491 upazilas, some 265 upazila complexes have already been built under two separate projects.

Under this new project, some 226 upazila complexes would be built and extended in 61 districts.

The main project operations include construction of some 226 administrative buildings and ballrooms, construction of 60 residential buildings and some 18 acres of land acquisition.

The other approved projects are Reclaimed Land Development from River Jamuna under Sirajganj District and Protection of the proposed Economic Zone with Taka 509.94 crore, River Bank Protection of Sangu and Dolu Rivers under Satkania and Lohagara upazilas in Chittagong with Taka 333.34 crore, Reducing the Risk of Arsenic in Water Supply Project with Taka 1,990.96 crore.

The approved projects also include Road Widening and Development from ECB Square to Mirpur and Construction of Flyover on Kalshi Circle Project with Taka 612.69 crore, Construction of Independence Monument at Suhrawardy Uddyan (3rd phase) Project with Taka 265.44 crore, Construction of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Square at Talaimari with Taka 59.28 crore, Construction of Administrative Convention Center at Khulna City with Taka 128.91 crore,

Temple-based Children and Mass Education Programme-5th phase with Taka 216.52 crore, Establishment of Lalmonirhat Textile Institute with Taka 100.13 crore and Road Development from Jyointa to Jaflong on Dhaka-Sylhet-Tamabil-Jaflong National Highway with Taka 190.77 crore.