Ecnec okays project
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in its meeting yesterday approved Tk 2,169 crore in seven projects including one for setting up 3,500 kilometres new electric lines in Khulna division.
Ecnec meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair okayed rural Electrification Extension in Khulna Division project worth Tk 393 crore which will end in 2013.
According to the proposal, the lines at greater Khulna will be set up through nine ‘Palli Bidyutayan Samitys’. The Power Division said 1.48 lakh new subscribers will get electric connections and it will require additional 36 megawatt of electricity.
Due to power shortage, setting up electricity lines in the rural areas remained suspended for long. But the government has taken fresh initiative to expand it recently.
Earlier, Ecnec approved power line expansion in other divisions. Khulna was the last in the process.
SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME
Ecnec also gave nod to school feeding programme in the poverty-prone areas involving Tk 1,143 crore.
The project will be completed by June 2014 by the Department of Primary Education under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME) with half of the assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP).
Under the project, each student of primary schools in the project area covering 86 upazilas of all the six divisions across the country would be given 75 grams of fortified biscuits every day.
In the meeting the PM said, if the managing committees of other schools take initiative to give the students tiffin, the government will provide subsidy to it.
The PM directed the MoPME to take steps in this regard.
Another project for establishment of four fashion design and training institutes and a basic centre for the development of handloom fabrics with Tk 36 crore was also given approval. Under the project, four textile institutes will be set up at Dhaka, Tangail, Sirajganj and Kushtia.
Moreover, a project for setting up four textile institutes involving Tk 127 crore, construction of new youth training centres in 11 districts with Tk 146 crore, a Tk 253 crore project for rehabilitation of Ghorashal Thermal Power Plant, revised project for refurbishment and development of Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium at Chittagong costing Tk 71 crore as venue for holding ICC World Cup 2011 in Bangladesh were also okayed.
