The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved nine projects involving Tk 7,331 crore including construction of Bibiyana-III 400 megawatt combined cycle power plant project at a cost of Tk 3,358 crore.The approval came from a meeting held at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the afternoon with ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Division Secretary Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam informed that nine development projects involving a cost of Tk 7,331 crore were approved in the meeting.
“Of the total project costs, Tk 4,970 crore will come from the government exchequer while the rest Tk 2,361 crore will come as project assistance,” he said.
Planning Ministry sources said that the Bibiyana-III Power Plant Project will be implemented during July 2013-June 2016 period at a cost of Tk 3,358 crore. Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) will provide a loan of Tk 2,361 crore for the project while Tk 851 crore will come from the government exchequer and the rest Tk 141 crore funded by the implementing agency – Bangladesh Power Development Board.
In its recommendation, the Planning Commission said the project aims at using Bibiyana gas reserve effectively, meeting increasing demand of electricity and increasing people’s confidence in power management system.
The day’s ECNEC meeting also approved the `Barisal Division Rural Infrastructure Development Project’ covering 40 upazilas of all the districts under the Barisal Division involving a cost of Tk 638 crore.
Under the project, 544 kilometer road and 4767 meter bridge/culvert will be constructed and 19 lakh cubic meters of earth filling work will be completed. Besides, 20 growth centers and 26 boat landing stations will be developed under the project to be implemented during July 2013 – June 2018 period.
The ECNEC gave nod to two more revised projects with the same title, `Greater Faridpur Rural Infrastructure Development Project’, under which upazila, union and village level roads will be improved and bridge/culverts, growth centers and boat landing stations will be constructed in Faridpur, Madaripur, Rajbari, Shariatpur and Gopalganj districts. The cost of the two projects totals about Tk 1,513 crore.
The other projects approved in the meeting are: Expansion of SFDF Activities for Poverty Alleviation Project (Tk 50 crore-GoB); Basic and Applied Research on Jute Project (revised, Tk 118 crore-GoB); Construction of Railway Line from Ishwardi to Dhalarchar via Pabna (revised, Tk 1436 crore-GoB); Construction of Connecting Road from Natore Road to Rajshahi Bypass Road Project (Tk 87 crore-GoB), and 4-Laneing of Nabinagar-DEPZ-Chandra Road Project (revised, Tk 131 crore-GoB).
ECNEC members including Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Planning Minister AK Khandker and Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury as well as concerned Ministers, Advisers to the Prime Minister, Members of the Planning Commission, secretaries and officials concerned were present in the meeting. (Source: UNB)
