DHAKA, Sept 18, 2018 – The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved 14 development projects involving Taka 12,544 crore.

The approval came at the weekly meeting of the ECNEC held at the NEC conference room in city’s Sher-e-Banglanagar with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal said the government would provide Taka 8,842 crore from the national exchequer while the organizations concerned would contribute Taka 257 crore from own funds and Taka 3,445 crore would come as project assistance for the entire cost of Taka 12,544 crore for 14 projects.

Of the 14 approved projects, there are 11 new ones, while the remaining three are revised projects.

The ECNEC approved a project involving Taka 80 crore for the construction of railway line between Chilahati and Chilahati Border aiming to set up railway link with India.

Through the project, after more than five decades, Bangladesh and India would revamp the Chilahati-Haldibari rail connectivity which would also open up scopes for trains to travel to Shiliguri and Darjeeling.

Another project okayed by the ECNEC was for procurement, preservation and use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) involving Taka 3,825 crore for collecting 1.5 lakh EVMs by June 2023.

About the EVMs project, the planning minister said they have taken the project which will be implemented in three phases. “The EVMs (1.5 lakh EVMs) will be procured in three phases.”

Besides, BEPZA Economic Zone, Mirsharai-1st Phase Project involving Taka 750 crore was also cleared by today’s ECNEC meeting. About the project, Mustafa Kamal said, the Prime Minister gave directives that the drainage system of the economic zone must be made in the scientific way along with the central effluent treatment plant (CETP).

The 11 other approved projects include Establishment of Sheikh Hasina Tantpalli (1st phase) with Taka 253.30 crore; Upgrading Hathazari-Raojan part of Chattogram-Rangamati National Highway into Four-Lane project with Taka 528.45 crore; Widening and Strengthening Jamalpur-Madarganj Road (3rd revised) project with Taka 128.45 crore; Infrastructure Construction and Development of Narayanganj City Corporation project with Taka 461.26 crore; and Establishment of Agricultural Research Centre of BARI in Gopalganj District and Development of Agriculture Strengthening Environment-Ecology-Befitting Research Activities in the country’s Southwestern Region project with Taka 157 crore.

The remaining projects are Barishal-Patuakhali-Bhola-Jhalakathi-Barguna-Madaripur and Shariatpur Agriculture Development project with a cost of Taka 111.91 crore; Gopalganj-Khulna-Bagerhat-Satkhira-Pirojpur Agriculture Development project with Taka 82.65 crore; Establishment of BCS Economic Academy project (2nd revised) with Taka 257.98 crore; Relocation of Bangladesh Betar from Shahbagh Complex to Agargaon, Construction and Modernisation (1st phase) project (3rd revised) with Taka 113.15 crore; Improvement of Drainage System to remove water-logging in Khulna City project with Taka 823.79 crore; and Programme for Supporting Rural Bridges project with Taka 4,971 crore.bss