The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 11 projects including the empowerment of women with the help of technology.
The approval came at the ECNEC meeting with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The premier attended the meeting joining virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence here while ministers, state ministers, planning commission members and secretaries concerned were connected from the NEC conference room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Briefing the newsmen after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said, “The meeting approved 11 projects with an overall estimated cost of Tk 4,541.71 crore. Today’s meeting approved six fresh projects and five revised ones.”
He said a fresh project titled, “Her Power Project: Empowering Women with Technology (Phase II)” was designed to create self-employment opportunities for women and thus ensure their sustainable empowerment as entrepreneurs by enhancing their skills through the best and safest use of information technology.
The ICT Division will implement the project in 130 Upazilas in 44 districts under eight divisions at the cost of Tk 250 crore by December 2024.
Under the project, a total of 25,125 women will be given 5 months of training in four categories to increase the capacity of women in information technology.
At the end of the training, a month-long mentorship program will be organized with the trainees.
A total of 48 seminars on women's empowerment in the application of information technology will be organized and disseminated – two at the central level and 44 at the district level.
However, among the projects, four projects are under the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry, three under the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, two under the Water Resources Ministry, one each under the ICT Division and the Railways Ministry, the planning minister said.
All the projects will be implemented with finance from the government, he added.
In terms of the cost, the biggest fresh project is “Protection of river banks from Kaliganga River Erosion to protect different important areas in Nababganj upazila of Dhaka, Saturia, Ghior, Manikganj Sadar and Singair upazilas of Manikganj” involving Tk 689 crore.
The Water Development Board will execute the project by June 2024.
Besides, the project of expanding the operations of milk cooperatives in the milk deficit upazilas with Tk 156.88 crore has been approved in the meeting.
The other projects approved in the meeting are protecting Saturia, Gheor and Manikganj Sadar upazila and Singair upazila under Manikganj district through protecting their riverbanks with Tk 688.96 crore, Addressing water logging at Narayanganj Sadar upazila with Tk 149.70 crore, Canal excavation from Baroipara of Bohaddarhat to Karnaphuli River, 2nd revised with an additional cost of Tk 106.46 crore.
The other projects approved in the meeting are Supply of necessary machineries and equipment to Mymensingh city corporation and improvement of its waste management with Tk 122.13 crore, Construction of broad gauge railway track from Chilahati to Chilahati border to establish rail communication with India, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 60.52 crore, Construction of border roads (Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban hilly districts), 1st phase, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 2,174.47 crore, Upgrading district highways into due standard and width, Cumilla Zone, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 77.91 crore, Construction, development of Nabinagar-Shibpur-Radhika regional highway, (R-203), 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 95.92 crore and Protecting Morelganj upazila Sadar and adjacent areas from the erosion of Panguchhi river in Bagerhat and re-excavation of Bishkhali River with Tk 658.83 crore.
