Govt to renovate 550 food silos

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved six projects of Tk 2,920 crore, including one to renovate 550 food silos.

Under another project, a new design would be used for a planned permanent exhibition centre in Purbachal to hold the annual Dhaka International Trade Fair.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was in the chair when an Ecnec meeting approved the projects.

State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan briefed journalists about the projects after the meeting.

A Tk 317 crore project has been undertaken to renovate the food silos and raise their storage capacity by 30 lakh tonnes in total within 2021, in a bid to increase food security.

According to a planning ministry proposal, there are 2,722 food silos of different sizes in the country with a storage capacity of 21 lakh tonnes. 

Under the project, 725 CCTV cameras and 725 solar panels and instant power supply (IPS) systems will be installed at the silos.

In the revised China-Bangladesh exhibition centre project in Purbachal, cost was raised from Tk 796 crore to Tk 1,303 crore, of which Tk 626 crore was being provided by the Chinese government as a grant. The size of its venue would be doubled.

Scheduled to have been completed last month, the project is now stipulated to be over in December 2020.

Mannan quoted officials as saying at the meeting that the project may be completed next year ahead of schedule and the trade fair could be held there from then.

Another Tk 217 crore project will enable land acquisition and other works under public-private partnership for Khan Jahan Ali airport at Bagerhat in Khulna. 

A Tk 170 crore project will see to the vertical expansion of circuit houses in 37 districts.