The government has approved the revision of the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway construction project for the second time, raising its cost 60 per cent and extending the implementation time by four years up to June 2030.
With the approval, the cost of China-funded Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway project has jumped to Tk 270.45 billion from the original cost of Tk 169.01 billion and from the 1st revised cost of Tk 175.53 billion.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) gave the approval along with seven other projects worth Tk 144.11 billion at its meeting on Wednesday with the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair.
After the ECNEC meeting, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki told newsmen that the meeting had endorsed eight projects-- three new and five revised ones.
He said the government will provide Tk 104.94 billion from its own exchequer while Tk 35.50 billion as project loan from the external sources.
The BBA is now building the 24-km Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway in a bid to bypass Dhaka's traffic from west to east and reduce traffic congestion in the capital.
Among the approved projects, the government revised "General Social Infrastructure Development-2 (GSIDP-2) (1st Amendment) Project" extending the cost by Tk 3.68 billion, the "Disaster Shelter Construction, Renovation and Development Project (3rd Amendment)" by Tk 10.23 billion, the "Power Distribution System Development Project, Sylhet Division (3rd Amendment) project" project by Tk 1.17 billion, and the "Upgrading the existing kidney dialysis centers in medical college hospitals to 50 beds and establishing 10-bed kidney dialysis centers in district headquarters hospitals (2nd Amendment) project" increasing the cost by Tk 813.089 million.
Among the fresh projects, the ECNEC approved the "Greater Dinajpur (Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh) District Integrated Development Project" at Tk 14.92 billion, the "Rural Road Maintenance and Employment Project" at Tk 20.82 billion, and "Drilling of an appraisal-cum-development well (Begumganj-5) and two exploration wells (Begumganj-6 and Sunetra-2) project" at Tk 7.29 billion.
The ECNEC meeting was also informed about the 11 development projects with less than Tk 500-million cost, which have already been approved by the Planning Minister.
Minister for Local Government, Rural Development Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir; Minister for Finance and Planning Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury; and others were present at the meeting
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