ECNEC Approves Project to Upgradate Hatirjheel-Rampura Bridge-Demra Highway

The National Economic Council's (ECNEC) Executive Committee today approved a Taka 1,209.60 crore project to complete the required land acquisition and reconstruction work to expand the Hatirjheel-Rampura Bridge-Banasri-Shekherjaiga-Amulia-Demra highway into four lanes.

The approval came from an ECNEC meeting with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheik Hasina in the chair at the NEC Conference Room in the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar region of the district.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Minister of Planning MA Mannan said a total of nine projects were approved today involving an estimated total cost of Taka 4,324.61 crores.

“Of the total project cost, Taka 4,249.09 crore will come from the government of Bangladesh portion, Taka 5.68 crore from the concerned

organization’s own fund while the rest of Taka 69.84 crore as project assistance,” he said.

Out of the approved nine projects, eight are new while another one is a revised project.

The Minister of Planning said the Department of Roads and Highways will undertake the project by December 2024 under the Road Transport and Highway Division which will help the conversion of this highway into four-lane.

Mannan said this is a supporting project and once the main project works of upgrading the 13.50-kilometer highway including Chattogram Road Circle and Tarabo Link Road is completed under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) initiative, people traveling from and to Chattogram and Sylhet from the capital would be benefitted with easier travel alongside smoother goods transportation.

The main project operations include some 25.47 hectares of land acquisition, compensation, and rehabilitation alongside other necessary consultancy and procurement work. 

The day’s ECNEC meeting also approved a project for conducting dredging at Mongla Port Channel with an estimated cost of Taka 793.73 crore in a bid to turn this port into an international one.

The main objective of the project is to ensure the necessary depth for handling the capacity of ships having a 9.5 to 10-meter draft at Mongla Port Jetty.

The project operations include some 157.75 lakh cubic meter dredging by cutter suction dredger, some 58.34 lakh cubic meter dredging by trailing suction hopper dredger, construction of 2 lakh cubic meter dykes and 0.50 lakh cubic meter geotube dykes.

The Planning Minister said once this project is implemented, it would help to boost the capacity of Mongla Port to a big extent and thus meeting its growing demand for handling containers.

Referring to the approval of procurement of necessary vehicles and equipment for Rangpur City Corporation with Taka 113.69 crore, Mannan said

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the authorities concerned including the Mayor of Rangpur City Corporation to ensure proper utilization of these proposed vehicles, machineries, and equipments.

The Premier also renewed her directive to conduct necessary dredging in the river channels side by side maintaining austerity in the use of water.

The other projects approved in the meeting are construction of Rajshahi WASA Bhaban with Taka 65.99 crore, Bhandal Juri Water Supply project, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 958.85 crore, upgradation of Narayanganj Link Road (from Signboard to Chashara) into six-lane with Taka 449.58 crore, Agricultural Development at Rajshahi Division through extension of modern technology with Taka 147.03 crore, Protection of River Bank near Doarabazar Upazila Parishad complex, Rokkhibaor and Betura on the right side of River Surma under Sunamganj district with Taka 191.67 crore and Arial Kha River bank protection and dredging under Shibchar Upazila in Madaripur district with Taka 394.47 crore.

Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting while Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present.

Source: BSS