C T Online Desk: Jan 25, 2022 – The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved 10 projects including flood and
riverbank erosion risk management in Padma and Jamuna rivers involving Taka 4,621.34 crore.
The approval came at the ECNEC meeting with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The premier attended the meeting joining virtually from her official
Ganabhaban residence here while ministers, state ministers, Planning
Commission members and secretaries concerned were connected from the NEC
Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Briefing the newsmen after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said
that a total of 10 projects were approved involving an overall estimated cost
of Taka 4,621.34 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Taka 3,055.21 crore will come from the
government while Taka 1,566.13 crore as project assistance,” he added.
Among the approved 10 projects, five are new while five others are revised
ones.
Mannan informed that Bangladesh Water Development Board under the Ministry
of Water Resources will implement the Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk
Management Investment Program (Project-2) with a cost of Taka 1,803.07 crore
by December 2025.
He said the main goal of this project is to provide assistance to improve
the standard of life, alleviate poverty and achieve sustainable economic
growth of the people affected by erosion along the Jamuna and Padma rivers.
Under the project, he mentioned that the government will build flood and
river erosion prevention management through structural development and
enhancement of institutional capacity.
The government will also develop integrated management to prevent river
erosion and increase sustainability in the project area, the minister added.
He went on saying that the main project operations include 30km riverbank
protection, construction of 7.90km embankment, 40 km adaptation work and 6km
emergency work.
The approved projects include two each under the Agriculture Ministry and
Industries Ministry and one each of Water Resources Ministry; Defense
Ministry; Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry; Post and
Telecommunication Division; Road, Transport and Highways Division and
Security Service Division.
The two projects under Industries Ministry are ‘Establishment of Six
Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Center (BITAC) in Gopalganj,
Sunamganj, Barisal, Rangpur, Jamalpur and Jashore districts’ with a cost of
Taka 1,132.61 crore and ‘Establishment of Urea Formaldehyde-85 (UF-85) plant’
with Taka 724.30 crore.
The two projects under the Agriculture Ministry include ‘Agricultural
Development of Sylhet Region through Modern Technology’ with Taka 200.54
crore and ‘Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management (CSAWM) (DAE Part)’
with Taka 106.08 crore.
The other projects approved in the meeting are ‘Netrokona-Bishiura-
Ishwarganj Road (Z-3710) Development (1st revision)’ with Taka 481.20 crore,
Construction of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Building
(1st revision)’ with Taka 261.86 crore, ‘Construction of 16 Regional Passport
Offices (Construction of revised 17 Regional Passport Offices and Upward
Expansion of 4 Passport Office Buildings) (1st revision)’ spending at Taka
128.39 crore, ‘Establishment of Sheikh Hasina Cantonment Barisal (1st
revision)’ with Taka 2,030.09 crore, and ‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari
Park, Gazipur Approach Road Widening and Other Necessary Infrastructure
Development (3rd revision)’ with Taka 242.06 crore.
