The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday turned down a Tk 17,290.23-crore project designed to provide ‘Khichuri’ or other food items as midday meals to primary school students.

“The project hasn’t been approved as the Prime Minister is concerned about its structure (modus operandi). She said cooking Khichuri in schools might hamper the study of students,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan.

The minister was briefing reporters after an Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room in the city.

Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting, joining it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

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The meeting, however, cleared nine other projects involving an estimated total cost of Tk 5,239.62 crore, the minister added.

Of the cost, he said, some Tk 250 crore will come as loan from foreign sources.

Among the nine projects, six are fresh and three others revised ones.

About the midday meal project, Mannan said the project will not be placed for approval anymore, but new projects over the midday meal may come in different formats.

He said the Prime Minister supports the midday meal system for students, but she asked for further study for designing such projects.

The Directorate of Primary Education under the Primary and Mass Education Ministry formulated the midday meal project in order to ensure nutrition and sound health of the students.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister said the Environment Department needs to provide environmental clearance to any project within a specific time following the submission of an application, or else, it should be considered that it gives consent and has no objection to it after the expiry of the stipulated time.

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Mannan said it takes a long time to get environmental clearance in many cases, which causes the delay in implementation of many projects.

In this regard, the Prime Minister said if they do not give objection or clearance within the specific time, then it should be considered as they have no objection, the minister mentioned.

The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to be careful while regulating river water so that small canals do not dry up.

Six fresh projects approved at the meeting include Riverbank protection of Meghna at Borokheri and Ludhuabazar under Ramgoti and Kamalnagar upazilas and Kaderpandit Hut at a cost of Tk 3,089.97 crore, Upgrading the Kushtia to Meherpur portion of Kushtia (Trimohoni)-Meherpur-Chuadanga-Jhenidah (R-745) regional highway with Tk 643.02 crore, and Construction of infrastructures of newly created Narayanganj (62 BGB) Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh with Tk 237.21 crore.

Three other new projects are Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Space Observation Center with Tk 213.38 crore, Capacity enhancing of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority with Tk 88.05 crore and integrated rural employment assistance project for rural women, 2nd phase with Tk 346.55 crore.

Among three revised projects, Ecnec approved the 3rd revision of Bangladesh Economic Zones Development Project, 1st phase raising its cost at Tk 986.70 crore from Tk 905.32 crore in the 2nd revision, while the first revision of Matarbari Ultra SuperCritical Coal Fired Power Project (PGCB portion: Matarbari-Modunaghat 400 KV transmission line) enhancing the cost at Tk 1323.04 crore from Tk 1,090.81 in the original project and the 2nd revision of the Income Generating Activity Training for Women at Upazila Level increasing the cost to Tk 591.03 crore from Tk 283.22 crore in the 1st revision.