B Mirror Desk :  On Saturday, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) sanctioned nine development projects with a total projected expenditure of Tk 118.52 billion.

Out of this total, Tk 80.46 billion will be sourced from government financing, Tk 29.89 billion will be obtained through project loans, and Tk 8.16 billion will be contributed from the funds of the implementing agencies. This approval was granted during an Ecnec meeting convened at the NEC Conference Room within the Planning Commission, presided over by Chief Adviser and Ecnec Chairperson Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The projects that received approval include the construction of academic buildings for eight government polytechnic institutes at a cost of Tk 4.51 billion, capacity enhancement for 15 government polytechnic institutes costing Tk 15.14 billion, and the development of selected private colleges aimed at improving education through ICT, with the third revision reflecting a reduced cost of Tk 1.84 billion.

Additionally, a mosque-based children and mass education program aimed at promoting ethics and religious values, in its 8th phase, has been allocated Tk 46.46 billion. The Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE) project, focusing on the reintegration of returning migrants, has been revised with an extra cost of Tk 910 million. The GRID Power Evacuation System Development for West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited is set at Tk 5.40 billion, while the Power Transmission Strengthening and Integration of Renewable Energy project has a budget of Tk 41.31 billion. The Urban Climate Resilient Infrastructure Project (UCRIP) is allocated Tk 5.90 billion, and the PRABRIDDHI (Local Economic Development) project, in its first revision, has an additional cost of Tk 726.0 million.

Furthermore, the Ecnec meeting also approved a proposal for extending the Reconstruction of Mymensingh Central Jail (1st Revised) project. Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud provided the Ecnec members with updates on four projects that had been approved previously.

The projects encompassed the Establishment of a Dry Fish Processing Industry in Cox’s Bazar (2nd Revised), the Strengthening of the Government Video Conferencing Platform (2nd Revised), the Construction of the Bogura–Rangpur–Saidpur Gas Transmission Pipeline (2nd Revised), and the Construction of an Elevated Expressway from Lalkhan Bazar to Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram (2nd Revised).