Implement projects that will be fruitful quickly: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed all the ministers to take up and implement public welfare projects on priority basis which will be fruitful in the shortest period of time.

She gave the instruction at a meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at the NEC conference room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital on Tuesday (February 13).

“We have to choose important and acceptable development projects for our socio-economic prosperity which will bear fruit in the shortest period of time,” she said while presiding over the meeting.

The premier said the projects will have to be taken in such way as it can contribute to the country's advancement towards prosperity and her government can achieve its goal of overall development.

She also asked all concerned particularly the secretaries of the ministries to take prompt measures in completing the low-cost projects at the quickest possible time.

"If we can complete these projects quickly, we can take up new projects," she said.

Sheikh Hasina also instructed to complete the time-extended development schemes swiftly to save money and time as well.

Planning Ministry Secretary Satyajit Karmakar informed this to reporters at a press conference after the ECNEC meeting.

At this first ECNEC meeting of the newly formed government, 10 projects were placed for approval. Among those, nine projects were approved, and one was rejected.

The budget of the nine projects approved in Tuesday’s ECNEC meeting is worth Tk 4,453.21 crore. Of this, Tk 3,909 crore will come from government funding, Tk 290 crore from organisations and Tk 254 crore from project loans.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed to ensure that the work of the development projects do not prolong or get stalled. She said, “We need to pay importance to the issue of climate change so that loans are available quickly. It should be ensured that the projects being taken up are not stuck in the pipeline and implementation is not delayed.”

Among the proposed projects, Chattogram city sewerage system installation project was not approved. However, climate resilient infrastructure mainstreaming projects and the project on rural infrastructure development in Dhaka district have been approved.

Other approved projects

Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Sustainable Development Pathways of Bangladesh under the environment, forest and climate change ministry; freelancing training for educated job seekers in 48 districts of the country under the youth and sports ministry; Establishment of Super Specialized Hospital (2nd Revised) at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University under Health, Education and Family Welfare Department; and Extension of PDBF Activities (2nd Phase) under Rural Development and Cooperatives Department.

Smart Pre-Payment Metering (2nd Phase) for West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd under the Power Division; construction of new divisional office of Anti-Corruption Commission in Khulna, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet; Upward Expansion of ACC’s Mymensingh Divisional Office; Urban Resilience Project (URP) under the Planning Division; and Project Coordination and Monitoring Unit (PCMU) (4th Revised) project.

Besides, the proposal to extend the deadline for the ongoing Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (CESIP) (3rd Amendment) project under the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has been approved.