Ecnec okays 'one house, one farm' scheme

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved seven projects of important economic and development implications involving an estimated expenditure of Tk 2,977 crore entirely from government exchequer.

The approved projects include the 'one house, one farm' scheme under the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division.

Under the project, Tk 1,197 crore will be spent on backyard farming at homesteads across the country.

With Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, the executive committee gave the approval at its meeting in the NEC conference room.

The farming project will cover 9,640 villages of 1,928 unions under 482 upazilas.

Some 28.92 lakh people from 5.78 lakh families would be the beneficiaries of the four-year project. The project members would comprise some 30%-40% women.

Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development, Bangladesh Rural Development Board, Rural Development Academy, Bogra, and the Cooperatives Department will help in implementing the project, said Planning Minister AK Khandaker after the meeting.

"The project will be kept under continuous evaluation and the recipients would get the money slightly on loan and donation basis," he said.

Another major one among the approved projects is the Gorai River reclamation project (2nd phase) under Bangladesh Water Development Board and under the ministry for water resources with an estimated expenditure of Tk 942 crore.

The five other projects are: construction of seven Rab Complexes for Bangladesh Police with an estimated cost of Tk 430 crore, construction of 10 barracks for Bangladesh Police under the home ministry involving Tk 98 crore.

Water supply, sanitation and drainage (amended) project in Sylhet and Barisal cities for the Department of Public Health Engineering under the local government division (LGD) with a cost of Tk 205 crore, road and footpath extension and development project in Khulna metropolitan area under the LGD with Tk 74 crore.

The training extension programme (2nd amended) for electrical and house-wiring in 41 districts, electronics in 55 districts and refrigeration and air-conditioning in 55 districts under the department of youth development under the youth and sports ministry with an estimated cost of Tk 31 crore.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Home Minister Sahara Khatun, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain and Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, among others, attended the meeting.