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The government agencies have spent 14.53 per cent of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) outlay in July-October period of this fiscal, one percentage point up from the rate in the corresponding period of last fiscal.
The agencies have utilised Tk 238.35 billion funds during the first four months of Tk 1.64 trillion ADP allocations in the current financial year (FY), 2017-18.
They spent Tk 167.72 billion or 13.60 per cent of the total Tk 1.23 trillion ADP outlay in the same period last FY.
Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal said these after a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in the capital on Tuesday.
The minister also said the ADP implementation rate during the last four months was the highest in the history of Bangladesh since there was no constraint.
Presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the ECNEC meeting approved eight development projects, involving a total cost of Tk 49.79 billion. Of the eight projects, seven are new projects, while one is revised.
Mr Kamal said: "Out of the total cost, Tk 40.69 billion will come from the national exchequer, while Tk 511.6 million from the government agencies' own fund, and the remaining Tk 8.59 billion from the project assistance."
Among others, the meeting approved the Smaller water resources development project (2nd phase) at a cost of Tk 12.86 billion. The project aims at boosting agricultural production and increase income of farmers through enhancing non-farm activities.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) will implement the project in 220 upazilas under 29 districts in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Rangpur divisions by December 2023.
The main project operations include implementation of some 145 new sub-projects on flood management, water sanitation, water retention, construction of office buildings of water management somobai somity (cooperatives), extension and rehabilitation of 136 old sub-projects, and acquisition of some 140.29 acres of land.
The ECNEC also endorsed the Leather Industrial Estate, Dhaka project (3rd revision) at a cost of Tk 10.79 billion.
BSCIC was scheduled to implement the project by June 2016. The ECNEC this time approved the 3rd revision of the project, extending its timeframe by another three years to June 2019 without increasing the project cost.
The planning minister said Sheikh Hasina has asked the authorities concerned to take steps for setting up a Leather Economic Zone in the country, so that the private sector feels encouraged in investing there. The government would make necessary arrangements for providing land for it.
The ECNEC approved projects - Installation of Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences at eight medical college hospitals at a cost of Tk 5.82 billion, Protection of river embankment from erosion of River Jamuna at Arjuna under Bhuapur upazila in Tangail at Tk 2.81 billion, and Power distribution system extension and renovation of west zone areas at Tk 12.49 billion.
It also endorsed Syedpur-Nilphamari highway (R-570) widening and strengthening project at a cost of Tk 2.26 billion, Completing unfinished work of Naogaon-Atrai-Natore highway at Tk 2.01 billion, and Joypurhat-Akkelpur-Badalgachhi (Z-5452) and Khetlal-Gopinathpur-Akkelpur (Z-5508) district highway widening and strengthening project at Tk 745.1 million.
The ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present at the ECNEC meeting.