The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved a project for recovering Buriganga River to keep the water flow running around the capital city.
Under the project, new Dhaleswari-Pungli-Bongshai-Turag-Buriganga System would be re-excavated involving Taka 1125.59 crore.
The approval came at the 32nd meeting of the ECNEC in the fiscal held at the NEC conference room in city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports BSS.
Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal, after the meeting, briefed the newsmen about the 
outcome. He said the ECNEC cleared a total of seven projects including Buriganga River with an outlay of Taka 3,326.50 crore.
“Of the total project cost, the government would provide Taka 2,971.76 crore from the national exchequer while the organization concerned would contribute Taka 354.74 crore,” he added.
Of the approved seven projects, four are new while three are revised ones.
The Planning Minister said the Buriganga recovery project has so far witnessed 13 percent progress while the Prime Minister asked the executing agency concerned to implement the project ahead of the extended timeframe of June, 2020.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the authorities concerned to frame a master plan with the joint efforts of the LGRD Ministry and Water Resources Ministry to maintain the navigability of the rivers alongside protecting the rivers from wastage.
She also laid emphasis so the industrial wastage alongside the household wastage cannot be poured into the rivers, and construction of an integrated effluent treatment plant to recycle the wastage.
The ECNEC okayed another project for construction of drains and footpaths alongside development of various damaged road infrastructures in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) at an estimated cost of Taka 1025.87 crore.
The project is aimed at easing traffic congestion and developing an effective road communication network in the city.
The Planning Minister said the DNCC will implement the construction of drains and footpaths project by December 2018. Of the total project cost of Taka 1025.87 crore, the government will provide Taka 718.11 crore while the rest of Taka 307.76 crore will come from the organisation’s own fund.
Under the project, there will be some 204.82 kilometers of road development, construction of some 267.27 kilometers of drains, construction of some 119.27 kilometers of footpaths and relocation of utility lines.
Referring to the approval of the Military Farm Modernization (1st revised) project with Taka 113.64 crore, the Prime Minister asked the executing agency to produce fertilizer from cow dung and go for producing milk-processed foods during implementation of this project.
The meeting also approved the efficiency development of mobile game and applications at an estimated cost of Taka 281.97 crore to be implemented by the ICT Division by December 2017.
Under the project, some eight mobile game and apps development academy would be established in eight areas at divisional level, set up mobile game and apps lab at local educational institutions in 30 districts, set up apps testing lab and training point, mobile game and apps development, training and efficiency development, testing and evaluation of online quality assurance as well as creating employment opportunities in the industrial sector, conducting mass awareness campaign on mobile game and apps.
Other projects approved in the meeting are land acquisition and land development for implementation of Gajaria 350 MW coal fired thermal power plant (Taka 504.23 crore), protection of Shahbagpur gas field from the erosion of Meghna River (Taka 216.87 crore) and widening of Nator’s town main road from Harishpur bypass more to Banbelgharia bypass more (Taka 58.33 crore).
Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting while members of planning commission and secretaries concerned were present.
