DHAKA, Nov 04, 2018 (BSS)- The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved the Joydevpur to Ishwardi dual gauge double line construction project under the Bangladesh Railway with Taka 14,250.61 crore to enhance the line capacity and thus carry more passengers and goods-laden trains.
The approval came from the 13th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year 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 the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said that a total of 39 projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 86,686.95 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Taka 66,466.51 crore will come from the GoB portion, Taka 313.21 crore from the organization’s own fund while the rest of Taka 19,907.23 crore from project assistance,” he added.
Of the approved 39 projects, 31 are new while the rest of 8 are revised projects, he said.
AHM Mustafa Kamal, commonly known as Lotus Kamal, informed that the general point to point inflation rate in October eased further to 5.40 percentage point from 5.43 percentage point in September.
He informed that the Joydevpur-Ishwardi dual gauge double line project will be implemented by December 2024 by the Bangladesh Railway with Taka 8,756.76 crore assistance from the Chinese government.
Under the project, around 162.023 kilometers of the existing single line from Joydevpur to Ishwardi out of the 174 kilometers route will be transformed into dual gauge double line, Kamal said.
This line is part of the proposed trans-Asian railway network, SAARC, SASEC, BIMSTEC and BCIM route, he added.
Asked about the reason behind giving approval to such number of projects in one meeting, Kamal said these projects were approved to maintain the existing growth momentum alongside ensuring socio-economic welfare of the people of the country.
Replying to another question, he said if it is not contradictory to the concerned rules and laws, more ECNEC meetings might take place before the next general election.
The other projects approved in the meeting are canal excavation project up to 100 feet on both sides of Purbachal Link Road (From Kuril to Boalia), 1st revised, with Taka 10,329.66 crore, construction of 1st Terminal and Ancillary Facilities Extension for the Paira Sea Port with Taka 3,982.10 crore, construction of nine residential towers at Dhaka Metropolitan with Taka 975.56 crore, construction of curbing terrorism and International Crime Protection Center for Bangladesh Police with Taka 354.16 crore and construction of residential buildings for the high officials of Bangladesh Police with Taka 118.67 crore.
Extension of runway at Cox’s Bazar airport with Taka 3,709.61 crore, completing the unfinished works of Upgrading Jatrabari intersection to Mawa (Ikuria-Babubazar Link Road) into four lane including separate lane for the slow moving vehicles at Pachhar-Bhanga portion under the Dhaka-Khulna Highway (N8) with Taka 4,111.86 crore, reconstruction, widening and strengthening of Hariakhali to Shahporir Dip portion under Teknaf Shahporir Dip district highway with Taka 67.79 crore, infrastructural development of Tangail Pourashava with Taka 228.79 crore, Tepakhola lake development under Faridpur town with Taka 210.61 crore, infrastructural development of five Pourashavas under Cumilla district with Taka 145 crore, rural infrastructural development of greater Kushtia district with Taka 949.65 crore, Disaster Risk Management Enhancement Project (LGED portion) with Taka 225 crore, Rural Roads Rehabilitation Project with Taka 3,516 crore, important rural infrastructures development of Gopalganj district, 1st revised with Taka 1,123 crore, poverty alleviation at lagging Kurigram and Jamalpur districts with Taka 195.15 crore.
The other projects approved in the meeting are establishment of Bangamata National Cellular and Molecular Research Center with Taka 1,506.97 crore, establishment of Sunamganj Medical College and Hospital with Taka 1,107.88 crore, extension of infrastructures and academic activities of Khulna Engineering and Technology University with Taka 838.37 crore, procurement of necessary vehicles and equipments for enhancing the capacity of Bangladesh Police with Taka 649.88 crore, enhancing technical and technological capacity of RAB with Taka 340.57 crore, expansion of divers unit of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense with Taka 165.20 crore, National Power Transmission Network Development Project,1st revised with Taka 2,516.16 crore, construction of Bogura-Rangpur-Sayedpur gas transmission line project with Taka 1,378.55 crore, transforming the production method of Chattak Cement Company Limited from wet process to dry process with Taka 890.11 crore, BMRE of Keru and Company Bangladesh Limited,1st revised with Taka 102.21 crore, construction of multi-storey residential buildings for the public servants at Azimpur in Dhaka with Taka 1,921.81 crore, construction of tunnel beneath the River Karnaphuli with Taka 9,880.40 crore, enhancing capacity of highway police with Taka 244.21 crore and identification system for enhancing access to services project, 3rd revised, with Taka 1,696.64 crore, Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project (BRT, Gazipur-Airport), 2nd revised, with Taka 4,268.32 crore, social media surveillance project with Taka 125.39 crore and construction of 34 new buffer godowns in various parts of the country for facilitating fertilizer preservation and distribution with Taka 1,983.04 crore.
Important rural infrastructures development under Faridpur district, 1st revised with Taka 1,106 crore, rural infrastructures development of greater Dhaka with Taka 797.48 crore, disaster affected rural roads development in three hilly districts with Taka 749.10 crore, construction of 15-meter long bridges and culverts on rural roads with Taka 6,578.20 crore and making herringbone bond for making the rural kachha roads sustainable (2nd phase), with Taka 3,347.24 crore.