ECNEC approved six development projects

ECNEC approved six development projects

October 11, 2000

Dhaka-- (UNB) – The Executive Committee of National Economic Council approved six development projects involving over Tk 845.28 crore, including Tk 60-crore in project aid.

The approval was given in a meeting of the ECNEC held in the NEC conference room with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

A report prepared by the cabinet secretary on the delay in project implementation and failure in utilizing World Bank loan assistance after the cyclone of 1991 was placed in the meeting.

The report pointed out that the World Bank had taken back its assistance as the then government “failed to utilize the assistance in time and implement the port rehabilitation project”.

It also identified the officials responsible for delaying the project undertaken for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the cyclone-ravaged structures of the Chittagong Port in 1991.

The ECNEC approved the following projects: development project (Revised) of 2,000 selected government and non-government secondary schools at a cost of Tk 520 crore under government’s own financing, a project for providing sub-stipend in primary education, replacement, rehabilitation and maintenance project (1st phase) for ferries under Roads and Highways Division, gas supply project for the Meghnaghat 450-megawatt power plant of US company AES, expansion of hosiery industrial estate at Narayanganj and a project for setting up national textile design, training and research centre.

State Minister for Planning Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir placed in the meeting some other projects.

Among those are the Tk 25.93 crore Forest Resources Management Project, Loop-cutting project for Bakkhali river on Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar road, water supply and sanitation project for Gouranadi and Kalkini pourasabhas.

LGRD Minister Zillur Rahman, Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria, Education Minister ASHK Sadique, Industries Minister Tofail Ahmed, Food Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Water Resources Minister Abdur Razzaque, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Communications Minister Anwar Hossain, Science and Technology Minister Lt Gen (Retd) Noor Uddin Khan and State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Prof Rafiqul Islam attended the meeting.

Cabinet Secretary, Finance Secretary, Planning Secretary, members of Planning Commission, Primary and Mass Education Secretary, IMED Secretary and other Secretaries concerned were also present.