The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Thursday approved a large number of 44 projects involving an estimated cost of some Tk 39,094 crore.

The approval came from the Ecnec meeting presided over by Prime Minister and Ecnec Chairperson Sheikh Hasina at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e Bangla Nagar area.

“A total of 45 projects were placed in the meeting. But 44 schemes have been approved and the rest one has been sent back,” Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters.

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Among the overall cost of Tk 39,094.33 crore, some Tk 29,953.44 crore will come from the national exchequer, while Tk 7,579.73 crore from the foreign sources and Tk 1,561.16 crore from the own funds of the concerned organisations.

In terms of the cost, the largest three new projects are ‘Land Acquisition and Utility Transfer for Upgrading Bhanga-Jessore-Benapole Highway into Four-Lane’ project involving an estimated cost of Tk 6,140.19 crore; ‘Extended Dhaka Water Supply Resilience’ Project with Tk 4040 crore; and ‘Jashore Export Processing Zone area’ project with Tk 1,642.73 crore.

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The other largest projects include ‘Construction of Town and Union Land Offices across the country (Phase-II)’ project with Tk 1,595.62 crore; ‘Integrated infrastructural development of Sylhet City Corporation including extended areas’ project with Tk 1,459.74 crore; ‘Upgrading the connecting roads of Lakshmipur, Noakhali and Feni districts with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar into due standard and width’ project with Tk 1,404.46 crore; ‘Construction of gas, power and communications infrastructures for Moheshkhali Economic Zone-3 (Dholghata)’ with Tk 1,195.32 crore; and ‘Improvement of Urban Public Health Preventive Services’ Project with Tk 1,181.50 crore.

During the meeting, the PM asked the authorities concerned to gradually come out from the trend of providing subsidies on different sectors particularly electricity and water in a bid to reduce burden on the state coffer.

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"We'll have to come out from the practice of subsidies in phases. Utilities like electricity and water are universal and are used by all. All from a minister to a cleaner equally enjoy the benefits of such subsidies," Mannan quoted the PM as saying.

The premier suggested fixing area-wise and income-wise charges for electricity and water services.