The approval came from the Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
“A total of nine projects were approved involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 4,611.62 crore,“ said Planning Minister MA Mannan.
Of the total project cost, Tk 4,366.12 crore will come from the national exchequer, while the rest of Tk 245.50 crore from the own funds of the organisations concerned, he said.
Among the approved projects, seven are new while the rest two are revised ones.
The Directorate of Primary Education will implement the project of Establishment and Making Primary Schools Eye-catching ones through Improving Infrastructures in Dhaka city and Purbachal area by December 2024, said the Planning Minister.
According to the Planning Commission, the main project operations include the construction of 14 new primary schools, including 3 in Uttara and 11 in Purbachal, construction, repair and maintenance of primary school rooms, construction and renovation of boundary walls of the primary schools and necessary land acquisition and land filling.
Ecnec also approved another project to improve selected educational institutions in Haor areas of Netrakona and Sunamganj with the estimated cost of Tk 944.80 crore.
The main project operations include construction of some 52 student hostels, construction of some 31 multipurpose buildings, one teachers’ dormitory and construction of boundary walls at 31 educational institutions.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the meeting asked the authorities concerned to find out ways for reducing the burden of excessive exams on primary school students so that they can get more time to play, said MA Mannan.
She also suggested covering the rest of educational institutions in Haor areas other than Netrakona and Sunamganj under a separate project for ensuring necessary improvement.
Besides, the meeting cleared the 4th revision of the Establishment of Leather Industrial Estate, Dhaka by cutting a cost by Tk 63.15 crore to extend the project period till December 2020.
The original project cost was Tk 175.75 crore, which was enhanced to Tk 545.36 crore in the first revision, Tk 1078.71 in the second revision and kept unchanged in the third revision. But the cost came down to Tk 1015.56 crore in the fourth revision.
Ecnec also endorsed the second revision of the Establishment of Faridpur Textile Institute Project increasing the cost by 60.39 crore and extending the project period by one year.
The original project cost was Tk 97.56 crore which was increased at Tk 101.56 crore in the first revision and 161.95 crore in the second revision.
The project period was also extended to June 2020 from June 2019.
The five other fresh projects are Construction of Inland Container and Bulk Terminal at Khanpur in Narayanganj with an estimated cost of Tk 392 crore, Modern Waste and Disposal of Spilled Oil at Mongla Port with Tk 401.24 crore, Addressing Waterlogging, Supply of Safe Water and Construction of Infrastructures in Sylhet City Corporation with Tk 1228.02 crore, Construction of Officers Mess and BOQ at Mirpur Cantonment with Tk 158.61 crore and Providing Training to Drivers for getting employment both at home and abroad with Tk 267.35 crore.
Under the training project for drivers, some 1 lakh drivers will be given training by December 2024, according the Planning Commission.