The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) yesterday approved the expansion of two rural electrification projects aimed at providing power connections for some four lakh new clients.
The electrification projects will cover 11 districts in Barisal and Khulna Divisions, which would require a total cost of Taka 1,834 crore.
The districts are Jhalkati, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Bagerhat, Jessore, Jhenidah, Khulna, Kushtia, Magura, Meherpur and Satkhira.
The approval came from an ECNEC meeting held at the NEC conference room in city’s Sher-e-Banglanagar with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal told reporters after the meeting that the ECNEC had approved a total of nine development projects with an outlay of Taka 7,900 crore.
“Of the total project cost, the government will provide Taka 5,436 crore from the national exchequer, while Taka 2,278 crore will be available as project assistance and the organization concerned will contribute Taka 185 crore from own fund,” added the Planning Minister.
Kamal said the Rural Electrification Expansion in Barisal Divisional Program-II will be implemented at a cost of Taka 838.90 crore while the Rural Electrification Expansion in Khulna Divisional Program-II at a cost of Taka 995.50 crore.
Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board under the Power Division will implement both the projects by June, 2018.
Under the projects, some 10,700 km new electricity lines would be set up alongside rehabilitation of some 1,300 km old electricity lines in 11 districts of Barisal and Khulna Divisions. Besides, some 25 new power sub-stations would also be set up under these two projects.
The day’s ECNEC meeting gave nod to another project “Improvement of safety and security measures at the airports in Bangladesh” at a cost of Taka 293 crore to be implemented by Civil Aviation Authority by June 2017.
Besides, another project “Upgradation of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, 1st revised (Taka 562.77 crore)” was approved by the ECNEC to ensure smooth landing and take-off of big aircraft like Boeing 777, 747 and Airbus 330.
The other projects approved in the meeting are Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Project, 1st revised (Taka 644 crore), construction of smaller bridges/culverts on rural roads (3rd phase), 2nd revised (Taka 1085 crore), Notun Dakatia and Puratan Dakatia Choto Feni River Drainage (part of Dakshin Comilla and Uttar Noakhali Integrated Drainage Project), 5th revised, (Taka 280 crore), and school feeding Programme in poverty-prone areas, 2nd revised, (Taka 3145 crore).
Ministers, State Ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the meeting.
Talking about the implementation progress of the Annual Development Program (ADP) for the July-November period of the current fiscal year, the planning minister said the progress reached 20 per cent which was also 20 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.
Kamal, however, said the ADP expenditure during the July-November period of the current fiscal totaled Taka 15,904 crore compared to Taka 13,156 crore during the July-November period of the previous fiscal year.
-BSS
