Rail link gets costlier

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved the revised budget for the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project with an increased cost of Tk 4257.94 crore, raising the total project cost to Tk 39,246.80 crore.  

   
It also cleared 15 other projects, including the 4th Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4) involving Tk 38,397.16 crore. The approval came from the regular weekly meeting of Ecnec held at the NEC conference room here with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports UNB.    

 "A total of 16 projects were approved with an estimated cost of Tk 96,235 crore," said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal while briefing reporters after the meeting. Of the overall estimated cost, Tk 52,685.05 crore will come from government funds, while Tk 43,221.17 crore as project assistance and Tk 328.55 crore from the own funds of the organisations concerned.

The Planning Minister said the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project aims to establish rail links between Dhaka and Jashore through the Padma Multipurpose Bridge.

As per the factsheet, the project will be implemented by June 2024. The original cost of the project was Tk 34,988.86 crore, which has now been raised to Tk 39,246.80 crore. Of the latest estimated cost, Tk 18,210.11 crore will come from the government's fund while the rest 21,036.69 as project assistance from China.

Mustafa Kamal said the Directorate of Primary Education will implement the PEDP-4 across the country by June 2023. Of the project's estimated cost of Tk 38,397.16 crore, the government will provide Tk 25,591.57 crore, while the rest Tk 12,805.59 crore will come as project assistance from the World Bank, ADB, JICA, EU, DFID, Australian Aid, Canadian CIDA, Swedish CIDA, Unicef and USH loan, he said, adding that the government is giving importance to primary education for the development of human resources. The Planning Minister said the primary education sector needs continued and further investment as it is essential to strengthen the base to keep up the pace of human resource development.

As per the Development Project Proposal (DPP), the net enrollment rate in primary education in 2010 was 87.20 percent which increased to 97.96 percent in 2016.

The main project operations include providing teaching-learning-education equipment and textbooks in due time, appointment of 165,174teachers, imparting foundation, ICT and other trainings to teachers, and construction of 39,000male wash blocks and 39,000 female wash blocks.

Mustafa Kamal said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the authorities concerned to focus on teaching foreign language alongside Bangla at the primary level as it is easy for children to learn several languages at this age.

She also emphasised dissemination of knowledge about basic traffic rules among the children at the primary level, he said.Talking about the project of the Establishment of Effluent Treatment Plants in 14 state-owned Sugar Mills, he said the sugar mills can remain in production just for three months a year for lack of sugarcane in the country.

So, the Prime Minister has asked the relevant authorities to utilise the sugar mills as refineries when those are not in production and refine raw sugar after its import, the minister said.The Establishment of Effluent Treatment Plants at 14 Sugar Mills Project involving Tk 85.10 crore will be implemented by June 2020.

The other projects approved at the meeting are Rupsa 800-MW Combined Cycle Power Plant Project involving Tk 8,498.65 crore, Construction of New 132/33 KV and 33/11 KV Substation under DPDC Project (1st revised) with the cost of Tk 2,387.69 crore, Establishment of 500 Bedded Hospital and Ancillary Buildings in Jashore, Cox's Bazar, Pabna, Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Jononeta Nurul Haque Modern Hospital Project with Tk 2,103.33 crore, Establishment of Ashuganj Inland Container River Port Project with Tk 1,293 crore, Development of Bangladesh University of Professionals (1st phase) Project with Tk 805.89 crore,and Construction of five Rab Complexes and one Rab Forces Training School Project (1st revised) with Tk 711.51 crore.

The approved projects also include Construction of Information Commission Bhaban with Tk 75.05 crore, Modernisation of Bangladesh Betar, Sylhet Centre and Installment of Digital Telecast Equipment Project with Tk 56.22 crore, Construction of three Link Roads including a Connecting Road between Satkhira Road and Bypass Road Project with Tk 394.67 crore.

The rest projects are Construction of Multistorey (13-storey) Residential Flat Project for public servants with Tk 168.52 crore, Installation of Pillars on Banks of Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakkhya and Balu Rivers, Protection of the River Banks, Construction of Relevant Infrastructures including Walkway and Jetty (2nd phase) Project with Tk 848.55 crore, Development of Important Infrastructures of 19 Municipalities Project with Tk 612.13 crore, and Extension of Dhaka City Drainage Network and Development of Canals Project with Tk 550.50 crore.