ECNEC clears project to build more than 1000 flats for govt employees in Dhaka

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has sanctioned a project to build over 1,000 flats for government employees in Dhaka.

Another project, to build residences for ministers on Bailey Road, was also passed in Tuesday’s meeting.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told reporters about the project approvals after the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the NEC in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

He said the estimated cost of building 1,064 flats for public servants was Tk 8.52 billion.

The flats will be built at Section-6 in Mirpur.

According to the minister, there are 148,910 government employees in Dhaka City at present. Of them, only 13,052 or 8 percent get government housing.

“So the government has set a target to build flats for 40 percent of them within 2019,” Kamal said.

Ten 20-storey buildings would be built on a 10-acre land under this project. 

The flats will be of 1,500 and 1,250 square feet area. 

The Public Works Department will build them within 2019, the minister said.

About the project to build houses for the ministers, Kamal said it proposed 15-storey buildings.

“But the prime minister has asked to not erect the building beyond six storeys to protect the the ambiance and greens in the area,” he said.

“She also ordered a master plan to preserve the beauty of Hare Road and Minto Road.”

According to the planning minister, 28 flats each with 5,500 square feet area would be built under the project.

The PWD will build the flats at an estimated cost of Tk 1.14 billion within June 2018.

The ECNEC also cleared five other projects having a total estimated cost of Tk 26.58 billion, including foreign aid amounting to Tk 5.04 billion. The government will fund the rest.

The projects include the rehabilitation of 10,000 storm and river erosion victims, mainly in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal.

The land ministry will implement the project at an estimated cost of Tk 2.58 billion within June 2020.

The army will implement the project – Establishment of 99 Composite Brigade for Safety and Security of Padma Bridge – within June 2019 with an estimated cost of Tk 7.5 billion.

The other projects are the setting up of a road directly linking Matarbarhi Power Plant, Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong, to develop the Khulna (Ruposhi)-Srifaltala-Terokhada Road and Nazirhat-Maizbhandar Road.