ECNEC approves 8 projects worth Tk 3,584cr
National Agricultural Technology Programme-2nd Phase cleared for
welfare of farmers
STAFF REPORTER
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) yesterday approved the National Agricultural Technology Programme-2nd Phase (NATP-2) in a bid to improve the overall socio-economic conditions of farmers and alleviate poverty with an estimated cost of Tk 1,878 crore.
The approval came from the 26th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year held at the NEC conference room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister, AHM Mustafa Kamal, said that ECNEC approved eight development projects involving Tk 3,583.99 crore. Of the total project cost, Tk 1,571.46 crore will come from the Government exchequer, Tk 98.72 crore from the organisations own fund and Tk 1,913.81 crore from project assistance, he added. Of the eight approved projects, five are new while three are revised projects.
The Planning Minister also said that the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Department of Fisheries and Department of Livestock Services will jointly implement the project by September 2021 at 270 Upazilas in the 57 districts of the country. IDA, IFAD and USAID will come up with Tk 1606.96crore project assistance, while the rest of the Tk 271.04 crore will come from the state exchequer.
The research activities under the project will be implemented through the participation of enlisted research organisations, universities and private organisations under the National Agricultural Research System through the BARC.
The Planning Minister said that under the project, there will be implementation of around 100 competitive research grants proposals and approximately 33 programme-based research grants proposal, giving PHD degrees to around 80 people in the country and 60 people abroad in a bid to groom skilled manpower in research and infrastructural development of the national agricultural research organisations as well as increasing their institutional capacity and developing the ICT sector.
Mustafa Kamal said that over 28,40,000 farmers families will benefit from this project once it is implemented. He also said that through the implementation of the project, paddy production in the country is expected to rise by 10 per cent and wheat production by 14 per cent along with increasing production of fisheries and livestock.
The days ECNEC meeting gave its approval for another project titled Installation of some 70,000 overloaded distribution transformers under the operations of rural electrification with Tk 799.94 crore. Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board under the Power Division will implement the project by December 2017. The project will be implemented at 77 Palli Bidyut Samity areas under the REB.
The Planning Minister said that the projects aim will be to replace overloaded distribution transformers, reduce system loss, enhance security for transformers and other equipment and fulfill the demand for additional power.
