UNB, Dhaka :
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved revision of 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.
“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.
Among the 16 approved projects, 12 are new while four are revised ones.
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.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved revision of 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.
“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.
Among the 16 approved projects, 12 are new while four are revised ones.
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.