The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) Thursday approved a project to make around 30 million e-passports to keep pace with other countries.
The approval for the Tk 46.36 billion project was given at the outgoing fiscal year’s 26th meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at the NEC conference room in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
The meeting also approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority for acquiring some additional 1,162.67 hectares of land for the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project at a cost of additional Tk 14 billion.
With the approved cost at the day’s meeting the total cost now stands at Tk 301.93 billion.
The ECNEC meeting on Thursday approved a total of 15 projects with an outlay of Tk 183.72 billion.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the e-passport project has been undertaken to fulfil various international demands as many countries in the world nowadays do not accept Machine Readable Passports (MRPs).
During the implementation of the project, AHM Mustafa Kamal said the MRPs will also be in effect alongside the e-passports.
The minister also said out of the proposed 1,162.67 hectares of additional land for the project about 9.35 hectares will be acquired at the Mawa end of the bridge while the remaining 1,153.32 hectares will be acquired at Janzira end.
The Padma Multipurpose Bridge is scheduled to be completed by December 2018.
The 13 remaining projects include:
- Establishment of Kushtia Medical College Hospital (1st revised) Project at an cost of Tk 6.11 billion
- Introduction of Countrywide Digital Terrestrial Broadcast (1st Phase) Project for Tk 2.5 billion
- Providing Primary Health, Reproductive Health and Nutrition Services to Disadvantaged Women and Children in 21 Districts Project at Tk 983.4 million
- Blue Gold Programme (BWDB Component): Programme for Integrated Sustainable Economic Development by Improving the Water and Productive Sectors in Selected Polders (1st Revised) Project at Tk 6.63 billion
- Establishment of Digital Land Management System (DLMS) through Digital Survey and Settlement Operations of three City Corporations, one Pourasava and two Rural Upazilas of Bangladesh Project at Tk 3.52 billion.
- Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC) Project involving Tk 1.67 billion
- Expansion of South-Western Power Transmission Grid involving Tk 32.74 billion
- Construction of Underground Substation in Karwanbazar under DPDC Project involving Tk 9.50 billion
- Long-term Service Agreement for Bheramara Combined Cycle Power Plant Project involving Tk 6.52 billion
- Construction of Railway Double Line Track between Laksam and Chinki Astana (3rd revised) Project involving Tk 18.20 billion
- Construction of Railway Double Line with Signalling System between Tongi and Bhairab (3rd revised) Project at Tk 21.76 billion
- Construction of Itna-Mithamoin-Austagram Road (1st revised) Project involving Tk 8.74 billion
- Establishment of Logistics and Fleet Maintenance Facilities for Bangladesh Coastguard Project involving Tk 4.48 billion
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