DHAKA, Jan 22, 2019 (BSS) – The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved the upgradation of the Jatrabari (Mayor Hanif Flyover) – Demra (Sultana Kamal Bridge) highway in to four-lane project with Taka 368.87 crore in a bid to facilitate vehicular movement and reduce traffic congestion.
The approval came from the maiden ECNEC meeting of the present government’s term held with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of 8 projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 1,893.22 crore. “The total expenditure of all the projects will come from the Government of Bangladesh portion,”
Of the approved eight projects, seven are new while another one is a revised project.
The Roads and Highways Department under the Road Transport and Highways Division will implement the project by June 2020 with entire government fund.
The Planning Minister said the Jatrabari-Demra-Shimrail-Narayanganj (Chashara) is an important regional highway which is connected with two important highways Dhaka-Chattogram National Highway (N-1) and Dhaka-Sylhet National Highway (N-2) . “Under the circumstances, the project was placed in the day’s meeting and was approved,” added the official.
The main project objectives include upgrading the Jatrabari-Demra Highway into four-lane, ensuring smooth plying of vehicles through minimizing traffic congestion, introducing separate service lanes for the plying of engine-based and engine-less vehicles and thus reducing accident tendency to a big extent.
An official at the Roads and Highways Division said that the vehicles to and from Sylhet usually avoid the Kanchpur Bridge due to traffic congestion and use the Tarabo-Jatrabari road which is 10 kilometer long and 7.3 meter wide.
Under the proposed project, the road would be upgraded into four-lane with a width of 15.60 meter. Besides, there will be separate service lanes for the slow-moving vehicles.
The main project operations include 0.0728 hectare land acquisition, some 4.1633 lakh cubic meter earth works, construction of four-lane main carriage way, construction of 6.645 kilometer service lane, construction of 8 underpasses, construction of PC girder bridge, over bridge, and drains with footpath.
The Planning Minister Mannan said assuming of his office as the new Planning Minister, his goal would be to bring more dynamism into the activities of the Ministry and the Planning Commission to further boost the GDP growth.
“We’ll have to maintain utmost carefulness while spending public fund as well as we’ll have to ensure ‘value for money’,” he added.
Referring to the landslide victory of the Awami League government, Mannan said that the reason behind such ‘resounding victory’ for the ruling party was the people of the country this time prioritized continuation of development activities.
He also informed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting has asked the authorities concerned and the ministries and divisions to implement the development projects speedily maintaining due quality.
Referring to the approval of the Chollisha(Bagra)-Kunia-Medni-Razurbazar Link Highway Project with Taka 257.21 crore under Netrakona district, the Minister said this highway would facilitate the communication of the people of haor region of Netrakona and Sunamganj.
The other projects approved in the meeting are Eradication of PPR Disease and control of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease with Taka 345.03 crore, Production and marketing of nutrition enriched high-value crops to alleviate poverty with Taka 206.35 crore, Development of existing 7 textile vocational institutes and establishment of 6 textile vocational institutes with Taka 353.90 crore, Museum building extension and construction of other physical infrastructures of Bangladesh Folk Art and Craft Foundation with Taka 147.26 crore, Extension of Gopalganj BSCIC Industrial Estate (3rd Revision) with Taka 102.83 crore, Construction of 9 narrow bridges and replacing 9 dilapidated bridges with RCC/Girder bridges on Gobindaganj-Chatak-Doarabazar road with Taka 111.77 crore.
Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting while Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present.