DHAKA, Sept 5, 2023 (BSS) - The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved a Taka 3,402.89 crore project in a bid to ensure land acquisition and setting up Pubail-Dhirashram rail link for constructing Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Dhirashram under Gazipur City Corporation area.

The approval came from a meeting of the ECNEC with its chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair held at the NEC Conference Room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area today.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of 17 projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 12,951.51 crore.

"Of the total project cost, Taka 10,267.52 crore will come from the government of Bangladesh portion, Taka 13.84 crore from the concerned organization's own fund while the rest of Taka 2,670.15 crore as project assistance."

Of the approved 17 projects, 10 are new while 7 are revised projects.

Bangladesh Railway under the Ministry of Railways will implement the land acquisition for ICD project with entire government fund by September 2026.

The main objectives of the project are some 231 acres of land acquisition for constructing ICD at Dhirashram, constructing 7.16 KM rail link (10.5 KM track) from Pubail to Dhirashram.

The main project operations include some 230.94 acres of land acquisition, construction of 175 meter major bridge and 35 meter minor bridge alongside 7.16 KM route.

Once the project is implemented, it would be possible to handling containers five times higher than Kamalapur ICD.

As a result, the pressure on transportation of containers on roads would be reduced while there would be no need for plying container-laden trains to Dhaka.

The proposed ICD at Dhirashram will also boost the revenue of Bangladesh Railway through operations of more container trains while industrialization in this region would also be expedited.

Besides, this ICD will play as an important hub once the transit with Nepal and Bhutan is launched.

The other projects approved in the meeting are: Construction of Kalia Bridge over River Naboganga on the 21st kilometer of Narail-Kalia district highway, 2nd revised with an additional cost of Taka 60.78 crore, Procurement of CNG single decker AC buses for BRTC with Taka 1,133.46 crore, Land acquisition for constructing sewerage treatment plant at Uttara area, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 499 crore, Land acquisition for constructing necessary infrastructures for enhancing the facilities for the visitors coming at the Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj with Taka 66.31 crore, Sonagazi 50MW (amended 75MW) solar power plant construction, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 118.46 crore, Establishment of Chattogram Medical University (CMU) with Taka 1,858.79 crore, Establishment of Chandpur Medical College and Hospital and Nursing College with Taka 1,370.74 crore, Modernization and Expansion of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 88.13 crore.

The other projects approved in the meeting are : Development project for government secondary schools, 1st revised with an additional cost of Taka 1,058 crore, Irrigation development through using surface water of Chattogram and Cox's Bazar districts with Taka 602.26 crore, Expansion of modern agriculture technology at Char areas of Bangladesh with Taka 209.21 crore, Implementation of integrated water resources management to address water logging at Tungipara and Kotalipara upazilas of Gopalganj district with Taka 893.55 crore, Multipurpose disaster shelter center, 3rd revised with a reduced cost of Taka 82 crore, Construction of Bridge over River Gorai under Khoksha upazila in Kushtia with Taka 279.15 crore, Cluster Village, 2nd phase (Climate Victims Rehabilitation Project, 4th revised with no additional cost and Climate Resilient Livelihoods Improvement and Watershed Management in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CRLIWM-CHT) Sector Project with Taka 1,392.78 crore.

The meeting also extended the timeframe of two projects without raising their costs.

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