Bijoy Sarani link road, 7 other projects okayed

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved eight projects involving Tk 4,039 crore.
The approved projects include the much talked about road extension project stretching from Bijoy Sarani to the east of Tejgaon industrial area. The project will be completed in two years time with an estimated cost of Tk 122 crore.
The approval was given at the meeting with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair.
To construct the 1km road, the government has to acquire about four acres of land. Only Tk 3 crore would be utilised for constructing the road, while the rest amount would be spent for acquiring land, demolishing structures and compensating the legal owners.
"There are 14 legal and 49 illegal structures on the project site and only the legal owners would receive compensation," the project document says.
Besides, the Ecnec approved the construction of Haripur 360MW Combined Cycle Power Plant & Associated Sub-Station project.
The cost of the Haripur Power Plant project has been estimated at Tk 3,507 crore, of which Japan Bank of International Cooperation will provide Tk 2,509 crore as soft loan.
The six other projects that got approval from the Ecnec includes a 150-bed modern hospital for government workers with an estimated expenditure of Tk 42 crore, developing digital mapping system of the Directorate of Survey Bangladesh with an estimated expenditure of Tk 115 crore to be provided by the donors, renovation project of BIWTC's six ro-ro ferries, two k-type ferries and six pontoons with an estimated expenditure of Tk 58 crore, renovation project of Dhaka-Narayanganj Railway line (16 km) with estimated expenditure Tk 24 crore, remodelling work of Khulna Railway Station and yard and improvement work of the operational facilities of Benapole Railway Station with Tk 49 crore and supply of pure drinking water from deep tube wells (irrigation) with Tk 122 crore.