ECNEC okays 6 projects involving Tk 2920cr

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved six projects including an amended proposal on the project for the construction of a permanent trade fair centre at Purbachal, reports BSS.

The approval came from an ECNEC meeting held at the NEC conference room in the city today with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, state minister for finance and planning MA Mannan said the ECNEC meeting cleared a total of six projects involving Tk 2920.39 crore.

Of the total cost, Tk 2070.14 crore will come from the government exchequer, Tk 625.70 crore from project assistance while Tk 224.55 crore will come from the own fund of the organizations concerned, said Mannan.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered to complete the construction work of Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre at Purbachal quickly.

The prime minister was informed that different parts of the structure of the centre are being made in China, which will be brought to the country and reset. So, the project is expected to be completed before the scheduled time, he added.

He said Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre will be constructed at Purbachal at a cost of Tk 1,303.50 crore.

Initially the estimated cost of the project was Tk 275 crore but it was increased to Tk 796 crore in the second phase, he said, adding that additional Tk 507 crore has been allocated as some new components have been included in the project.

Of the total cost of the centre, the government is providing Tk 475 crore, the Chinese government is giving Tk 625.70 in grant and Tk 202.80 crore are coming from the own fund of the organization, said the state minister for planning.

The project was scheduled to be completed by June this year. Now tenure has been extended up to December, 2020.

Other projects approved in the meeting were expansion and improvement of the quality of Maijdee-Rajganj-Chhayani-Basurhat-Chandraganj regional highway (Tk 252.16 crore), Link project for acquisition of land for the construction of Khanjahan Ali Airport under Public Private Partnership (PPP) (Tk 217.49 crore), project for further development of Bangladesh Agricultural University (Tk 659.80 crore) and project for repairing old food warehouse and related facilities and construction of new infrastructures (Tk 316.88 crore) and project for upward expansion of circuit houses in 37 districts (Tk 170.56 crore).