Dhaka-The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved five crucial development projects involving an estimated cost of Tk 2,805 crore, including three projects with support from Indian fresh Line of Credit (LoC).The three Indian LoC projects include establishment of Jamalpur Medical College and Hospital and Jamalpur Nursing College and Procurement of double-decker, single-decker AC and non-AC buses and trucks for BRTC.
The approval came from the weekly Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of five projects were approved today involving an estimated cost of Tk 2,805 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 1,932.28 crore will come from the national exchequer while Tk 872.72 crore from project assistance,” he said.
All the approved five projects are new ones, the minister added.
The Planning Minister said the Ecnec meeting approved the ‘Mirsarai Bangladesh Economic Zone’s flood control, road-cum-Beri-Badh protection and drainage’ project in Chittagong involving Tk 1,162.77 crore. Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) will implement the project by June 2019.
Under the project, he said, there will be some 17.87 km of coastal embankment construction, some 17.87 km of embankment slop protection, construction of 18.48 km motorable pavement, some 30 km of canal re-excavation, construction of nine sluice gates alongside 616 metres of closure.
With the completion of the project, Mustafa Kamal said, it will be possible to set up the Economic Zone there on some 8,452 acres of land through creating an investment-friendly environment there.
About the trend of riverbank erosion following flood in various areas, he said the Prime Minister at the meeting said various mid- and long-term plans will be taken to address the problem through dredging the rivers and thus construct the riverbanks with the dredged earth.
The minister said the establishment of Jamalpur Medical College and Hospital and Jamalpur Nursing College will be implemented at an estimated cost of Tk 716.61 crore. Of the total project cost, Tk 436.61 crore will come from the national exchequer while the rest of Tk 280 crore as project assistance from India’s fresh Line of Credit. The Department of Health will implement the project by June 2019.
Under the project, the government will equip Jamalpur Medical College and Hospital with necessary infrastructures and equipment with the help of fresh Indian $ 2 billion LoC in a bid to create more doctors and thus ensure better healthcare services to the people of those areas.
Planning Commission officials said although Jamalpur is an important district in Mymensingh division, the people of this district and the surrounding areas are deprived of desired modern medical services.
Under the proposed project, there will be construction of a six-storey hospital building having 10-storey foundation, six-storey academic building having an eight-storey foundation, separate hostel buildings for male and female students alongside the construction of residential buildings for doctors, teachers, officials and employees.
The Ecnec meeting also approved the procurement of double-decker, single-decker AC and non-AC buses project at an estimated cost of Tk 580.87 crore. The government will provide Tk 146.55 crore while the rest of Tk 434.32 crore will come as project assistance from the Indian 2nd Line of Credit. The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) will implement the project by June 2018.
Under the project, some 600 buses, including 300 double-deckers will be procured alongside procuring 100 single-decker AC city buses, 100 single-decker AC intercity buses and 100 single-decker non-AC buses.
Another official at the BRTC told the news agency that it is very much essential to increase the number of mass transport in the capital for having a developed and integrated transport network system.
In this connection, the BRTC had taken various initiatives in the past to raise the number of its passenger buses to meet the growing demand of mass transport, but it could not cope with the pace for lack of mass transport.
The Ecnec meeting also approved the procurement of trucks for the BRTC at an estimated cost of Tk 217.35 crore of which Tk 158.40 crore will come from the Indian fresh LoC.
Under the project, 350 trucks with capacity of 15 tons each, 150 trucks with small parts and other related services purchase each having capacity of 10 tons each will be procured.
The another project approved at the meeting is Enhancing capacity of PBI officials and procuring investigation related equipments with an estimated cost of Tk 127.40 crore to be entirely borne from the state exchequer.
Ministers, State Ministers and Planning Commission, and secretaries concerned were present.
