Finance
ECNEC Padma Setu cost revision proposal approved in ECNEC meeting
Dhaka, April 19: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved an amendment proposal to increase the construction cost of the Padma multi-purpose bridge at a cost of Tk 2412.13 crore and extended the project's deadline to June 2024.
This approval was given in a meeting held in the NEC conference room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar of the capital under the chairmanship of ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Planning Minister MA Mannan briefed the journalists after the meeting. State Minister for Planning Dr. Shamsul Alam, Secretary for Planning Satyajit Karmakar, Secretary for Statistics and Information Management Department Dr. Shahnaz Arefin and Secretary for IMED Abul Kashem Md. Mohiuddin were present.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a total of 12 projects including increasing the cost of the Dhaka Padma Bridge. The total cost of implementing these will be Tk 19,598 crore 84 lakh. Out of this, Tk 6,260 crore 72 lakh will be spent from government funds, Tk 134 crore 46 lakh from implementing agencies and Tk 13,203 crore 66 lakh from foreign aid.
The Planning Minister said, "Two projects have been presented for approval but they have been returned. The two projects are a project related to the training of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and a project related to the acquisition of land at the burial site of Bangabandhu." In this regard, the Prime Minister said, instead of building new infrastructure, the existing infrastructure should be used effectively.
The Prime Minister also said in the ECNEC meeting that virtual courts should be placed in the prisons of the country. This will reduce the hassle and additional cost of transporting the accused. Along with that, security will also be ensured.
