The government is set to approve today (Tuesday) another Rohingya rehabilitation project in a hurry after approving three such emergency schemes early this month, officials said on Monday.
Planning Commission (PC) officials said they would place a World Bank-funded Tk 10.58 billion emergency Rohingya crisis response project before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ENCEC) in Dhaka.
"We are expecting the project to be endorsed at the ECNEC meeting tomorrow," said a senior PC official.
Earlier on October 9, the ECNEC approved three projects for Rohingya rehabilitation on an emergency basis. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is funding the projects.
"The local government ministry sent the WB-funded fresh project proposal a couple of weeks ago. We are forced to go ahead with the approval on an emergency basis," he told the FE preferring anonymity.
The commission was under so much pressure that the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) was forced to endorse the expensive project in a single meeting, the official added.
Another commission official said that they had not got adequate time to scrutinise the project with which three agencies are involved.
The state-run Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE) and Fire Service and Civil Defense (FSCD) will implement the proposed "Emergency multi-sector Rohingya crisis response project."
The LGED will build 23 cyclone shelters, 30 multi-sectoral community service centres, construct roads, bridges, culverts, footpaths and drains, develop bazaars, install tube-wells for safe drinking water, ensure sanitation and water supply; and build fire service centres at the Rohingya camps at Teknaf and Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar.
The World Bank has already confirmed US$ 200 million worth grant for Rohingya rehabilitation work in Bangladesh.
Commission officials said the ministry of disaster management and relief will take up another project under the WB-funded grant for the rehabilitation of the Rohingya, stranded in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar area.
Meanwhile, the ECNEC on October 9 approved the ADB-funded Emergency Assistance Project-BREB portion (Electrification for the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar nationals taking shelter in Cox's Bazar) involving Tk 1.04 billion, Bangladesh: Emergency Assistance Project (LGED) portion at Tk 2.97 billion and Upgrading the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Road at Tk 4.58 billion.
The Manila-based lender in August this year confirmed US$ 100 million grant to Bangladesh for Rohingya rehabilitation work.
Just after four days of signing the Rohingya repatriation deals in November 2017, the government approved a Tk 23.12 billion project for sheltering the Rohingya refugees at Bhasanchar Island in Noakhali from the bordering district of Cox's Bazar.
The government will execute the project spending money from its internal resources.
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