More projects revised, costs increased

As many as four projects were revised yesterday with their costs swelling by Tk 34,483 crore.

This takes the total number of revised projects in the first eight months of the fiscal year to 32 and the additional costs to Tk 59,919 crore.

Of the four projects that were revised at yesterday's meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, the "Fourth Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme" saw its cost shoot up the most: by Tk 30,448 crore to Tk 145,934 crore.

The project, which began in 2017, has 29 components including setting up primary health complexes at the upazila level and community clinics at the union level and providing health services for mothers and newborn babies.

Two new components were included in the programme -- vaccination for Rohingya people and infrastructural development of upazila health complexes' infrastructural development -- that necessitated the revision, an official of the Prime Minister's office told The Daily Star.

The project also got a year's extension.

"It is not a slow-implementing project," said Nasima Begum, a member of the National Planning Commission.

The project is 63 percent complete.

"It's on track now and one year will be enough to complete it," she added.

The upgradation of the link of Ashuganj river port-Sarail-Dharkhar-Akhaura land port was tabled for revision yesterday as well.

The project got a new highway package, said Md. Mamun-Al-Rashid, another member of the Planning Commission said

The 50.56-kilometre highway project has included new work components such as land acquisition, construction of flexible pavements, rapid pavements, drains, bridges, railway overpass, foot overbridges, culverts and others.

As a result, the cost of the project, implemented with the Indian line of credit, would increase by a staggering 62.3 percent to Tk 5,791.6 crore and its implementation period by three years to June 2025, according to the meeting minutes.

The improvement of Dhaka's water supply network also got the nod for revision yesterday.

The project, which started in 2016, had ended in December last year. So far, only 27 percent of the money has been spent, indicating very poor progress. Subsequently, its tenure was extended to December 2023.

About the slow progress, Rashad said Wasa had to compensate two city corporations for road excavation, which was a lengthy process.

"The project design had some errors too," he said.

The other revised project is for the improvement of the Gopalganj district's rural infrastructure.

Also at the meeting, seven fresh projects were approved.