Ecnec approves 9 projects involving Tk36,695cr

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) today (13 May) approved nine projects with an estimated total cost of Tk36,695.72 crore.

Of the total project cost, Tk36,490.93 crore will come from government funding, while Tk204.79 crore will be financed from the respective organisations' own funds.

The approval came during a meeting held at the Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who is also the Ecnec chairperson.

Among the nine projects, three are new, five are revised, and one involves a duration extension.

The meeting was attended by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin-ur Rashid Yasin, and Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, among other cabinet members.

The committee addressed cultural and social infrastructure, approving the second revisions for both the Chattogram Muslim Institute Cultural Complex and the multi-storey building for the Department of Public Libraries.

In the healthcare sector, a new project was approved to upgrade existing Mother and Child Welfare Centres in district towns into 30-bed facilities during its first phase.

The Information and Communication Technology Division received approval for the third revision of the "Supportive Infrastructure Construction for Hi-Tech City-2" project.

Ecnec also approved the second revised project for the construction and reconstruction of government children's homes and "Chhotomoni Nibash" facilities under the Ministry of Social Welfare.

Under the Ministry of Defence, approval was given to a project aimed at easing accommodation shortages for soldiers in Savar Cantonment through the construction of four SM barrack complexes.

In the transport and urban development sector, the committee cleared the fifth revision of the Chattogram City Outer Ring Road, stretching from Patenga to Sagorika.

Among the most significant approvals is the first phase of the Padma Barrage project under the Ministry of Water Resources.

Energy security also received a boost with the approval of a revised project to construct a gas pipeline from Dhanua to Mymensingh, specifically designed to supply gas to the Mymensingh Combined Cycle Power Plant.

The meeting was also informed about two projects worth less than Tk50 crore that had already received approval from the planning minister: infrastructure development at Mymensingh Zilla School and construction of an airmen barrack complex at Bangladesh Air Force Base Kurmitola.