ECNEC approves 8 projects involving Tk 1,442cr
STAFF REPORTER
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) yesterday approved eight development projects with an outlay of Tk 1,442.42 crore, including one to set up 2nd campus of Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University involving Tk 238.87 crore.
The approval came from the ECNEC meeting held at the NEC conference room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal informed that ECNEC approved eight projects involving Tk 1,442.41 crore. Of the total outlay of Tk 953.52 crore will come from the government exchequer while Tk 25.04 crore from the organisations own fund and rest of Tk 463.85 crore from project assistance.
Of the approved eight projects, seven are new while one is revised project.
According to project summary Bangladesh University Grants Commission and Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University will implement the project by June 2019 at Pahartali of Chittagong and Hathazari of Coxs Bazar with entire government fund.
Under the project, two new faculties -- faculty of agribusiness management, faculty of biotechnology, two new institutes -- institute of coastal biodiversity, marine fisheries and wild life conservation and institute of food safety and nutrition and four departments -- departments of oceanography, environmental science, biotechnology, and wild life conservation and management would be set up.
Besides, the number of students at the university would increase to 2000 for which the project has been undertaken.
Mustafa Kamal said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the authorities concerned to take initiative for setting up a specialized university in Coxs Bazar putting importance on research.
The ECNEC meeting gave nod to another project titled Establishment of supervisory control and data acquisition system with Tk 152.20 crore in a bid to ensure efficiency in electricity management at the zone under Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO).
DESCO under the Power Division will implement the project by June 2019 at Gazipur, Narayanganj, Dhaka metropolitan city (north), Tongi and Purbachhal Model Town with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The DESCO started its journey back in September 24, 1998 in the citys Mirpur area with initial load demand of 90 MW and number of clients with 71161.
With the passage of time, the periphery of Desco has now been increased to 250 square kilometers to Gulshan, Tongi and Purbachhal Model Town with increasing the Desco load to 726 MW alongside raising of the number of clients to 7 lakh.
The planning minister said that the project would help to ensure uninterrupted power supply to a big extent in the project areas.
Mustafa Kamal presented a flower bouquet to the Prime Minister on behalf of the planning ministry on the inclusion of her name in the annual list of the Worlds 50 Greatest Leaders by US magazine, Fortune. Sheikh Hasina has been ranked No. 10 on the list.
The other projects approved in the meeting are--enhancing physical and academic facilities of Noakhali Science and Technology University with Tk 238.48 crore, modernization of food and radiation science facilities of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission with Tk 47.67 crore, establishment of BSCIC printing industrial estate with Tk 140.41 crore, Kaliakoir hi-tech park, 3rd revised with Tk 394.15 crore, development of Sylhet-Sunamganj road with Tk 140.65 crore and Ruma-Bogalake-Keokradang road development, 1st phase with Tk 89.98 crore.
