The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved nine projects worth Tk 1,730.38 crore including increasing the capacity of the police to combat terrorism.
The approval came from a meeting of the ECNEC held with its chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area on Tuesday.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the Ecnec approved nine projects with an overall estimated cost of Tk 1,730.38 crore.
Of the total project cost, Tk 633.52 crore will come from the government, Tk 1.44 crore from the concerned organization’s own fund while the rest of Tk 1,095.42 crore as project assistance, he mentioned.
He said, “The project to increase the capacity of Dhaka Metropolitan Police to combat terrorism and ensure public safety has been approved in the first amendment proposal. Its original cost was Tk 79.66 crore. This time through this amendment the total expenditure has been increased by Tk 229.82 crore to Tk 309.48 crore. Also, the period has been extended by one year till June 2023. The project is being implemented by Bangladesh Police.”
Besides, Ecnec approved a Tk 426.35 crore project to strengthen the village courts across the country in order to ensure wider access of rural poor, female, lagging behind and under privileged people in getting justice.
The Local Government Division under the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives will implement the Strengthening of village courts (3rd phase) project.
Of the total project cost, Tk 157.51 crore will come from the government fund while the rest of Tk 268.84 crore as grant from EU and UNDP.
Once the project is implemented, it would be possible to fulfill the demands of rural people related to justice, side by side the capacity of the local authorities would be enhanced in delivering due legal services.
The other projects approved in the meeting are : Enhancing capacity of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police in combating terrorism and ensuring public security, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 229.82 crore, Construction of 112 residential flats for the officials of Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat at Agargaon with Tk 98.22 crore, Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 588.67 crore, Feasibility study to construct important bridges on rural roads with Taka 80 crore, Countrywide mobile library project, 2nd revised with an additional cost of Tk 37.47 crore, the project for the improvement of equipment for technical education with Tk 98.01 crore, Establishment of Dhaka Technical Teachers Training Institute, 3rd revised, with a reduced cost of Tk 2.55 crore and Installation of prepaid gas meter for TGTDCL, 3rd revised with an additional cost of Tk 174.39 crore.
