Tungipara rail route project approved

The cabinet committee on purchase yesterday approved a project for construction of a new rail-track to Tungipara, the birthplace of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The committee in a meeting chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith also okayed proposals for import of rice and wheat and furnace oil for rental power plants.
It approved about Tk 249 crore for rehabilitation of Kalukhali-Bhatipara section and construction of Kashiani-Goplaganj-Tungipara rail route.
Kalpotoru Power Transmission Ltd of India landed the work as the lowest bidder.
The proposal for import of 30,000-tonne rice at a rate of $530 per tonne and 50,000-tonne wheat for $363 per tonne was okayed.
Besides, the committee also approved import of two lakh tonnes of furnace oil from Indonesia for supply of fuel to rental power plants at different parts of the country.
For preparing the design of Padma Bridge, New Zealand-based consultation firm Maunsell Ltd AECOM got an additional $7.31 million approved by the committee.
The government first decided to pay the firm $16.57 million. But the extra amount was allocated, as the firm's area of work has been expanded. Now the total cost stands at $23.89 million.
Besides, the purchase committee has appointed a contractor for rehabilitation work of the water supply system under Dhaka Water Supply Sector Development Project at a cost of Tk 76 crore.