News Desk : The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved 10 projects including flood and riverbank erosion risk management in Padma and Jamuna rivers involving Taka 4,621.34 crore.

The approval came at the ECNEC meeting with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports BSS.

The premier attended the meeting joining virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence here while ministers, state ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were connected from the NEC Conference Room in the city`s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

Briefing the newsmen after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of 10 projects were approved involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 4,621.34 crore.

"Of the total project cost, Taka 3,055.21 crore will come from the government while Taka 1,566.13 crore as project assistance," he added.

Among the approved 10 projects, five are new while five others are revised ones.

Mannan informed that Bangladesh Water Development Board under the Ministry of Water Resources will implement the Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program (Project-2) with a cost of Taka 1,803.07 crore by December 2025.

He said the main goal of this project is to provide assistance to improve the standard of life, alleviate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth of the people affected by erosion along the Jamuna and Padma rivers.

Under the project, he mentioned that the government will build flood and river erosion prevention management through structural development and enhancement of institutional capacity.

The government will also develop integrated management to prevent river erosion and increase sustainability in the project area, the minister added.

He went on saying that the main project operations include 30km riverbank protection, construction of 7.90km embankment, 40 km adaptation work and 6km emergency work.

The approved projects include two each under the Agriculture Ministry and Industries Ministry and one each of Water Resources Ministry; Defense Ministry; Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry; Post and Telecommunication Division; Road, Transport and Highways Division and Security Service Division.

The two projects under Industries Ministry are `Establishment of Six Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Center (BITAC) in Gopalganj, Sunamganj, Barisal, Rangpur, Jamalpur and Jashore districts` with a cost of Taka 1,132.61 crore and `Establishment of Urea Formaldehyde-85 (UF-85) plant` with Taka 724.30 crore.

The two projects under the Agriculture Ministry include `Agricultural Development of Sylhet Region through Modern Technology` with Taka 200.54 crore and `Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management (CSAWM) (DAE Part)` with Taka 106.08 crore.

The other projects approved in the meeting are `Netrokona-Bishiura-Ishwarganj Road (Z-3710) Development (1st revision)` with Taka 481.20 crore, Construction of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Building (1st revision)` with Taka 261.86 crore, `Construction of 16 Regional Passport Offices (Construction of revised 17 Regional Passport Offices and Upward Expansion of 4 Passport Office Buildings) (1st revision)` spending at Taka 128.39 crore, `Establishment of Sheikh Hasina Cantonment Barisal (1st revision)` with Taka 2,030.09 crore, and `Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, Gazipur Approach Road Widening and Other Necessary Infrastructure Development (3rd revision)` with Taka 242.06 crore.