The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 13 development projects involving a total expenditure of Tk 58,088.92 crore. Of the projects, 11 are new and two are revised.

The projects were approved at an ECNEC meeting held at the Cabinet Division conference room of the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday (November 4), chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman.

Of the total project cost, Tk 50,041 crore will come from government funds, Tk 7,974.65 crore from project loans and grants, and the remaining Tk 73.07 crore from the concerned organisations’ own resources.

Five projects under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives received approval. These include safe water supply and sanitation in the Barind region, restoration and re-excavation of various canals in Barishal city, climate-resilient urban development and social infrastructure development.

The third revision of the Priority-Based Important Rural Infrastructure Development Project was also approved.

Two projects under the Ministry of Home Affairs were approved to procure specialised and operational vehicles to enhance the capabilities of Bangladesh Police.

Other approved projects include the construction of B-type residential buildings for army officers in the Moinul Road residential area of Dhaka Cantonment and multi-storey residential buildings for government employees at Gabtala Colony in Jigatola, Dhaka.

Under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) will be established on the campuses of five medical college hospitals across the country.

The Fifth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-5), under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, also received approval.

In the energy sector, a project to drill two appraisal-cum-development wells, named Titas-32 and Titas-33, at the Titas Gas Field was approved.

The third revision of a project to construct bridges and culverts up to 15 metres long on rural roads was also approved.

Five More Projects Costing Less Than Tk 50 Crore

Meanwhile, the ECNEC meeting was informed about five additional projects costing less than Tk 50 crore each, which had been approved by the Planning Minister.

These include modernisation of cardiac treatment services at the Zia Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute in Dinajpur, ensuring safe internet use among children, adolescents and secondary-level students, and improving traffic infrastructure and road safety in areas under Dhaka North City Corporation.

The other projects include expansion and modernisation of the Dhaka Central Drug Addiction Treatment Centre and procurement of modern vehicles and equipment to improve waste management in Gazipur City Corporation.

Concerned ministers, state ministers, advisers and senior officials from various ministries and divisions attended the meeting.