ECNEC defers approval of three development projects due to city polls

The government’s top economic policy-making body has deferred the approval of three development projects in the capital as it could amount to a violation of the Dhaka city poll’s code of conduct.

Chief Economics Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 7 April 2015, 02:34 PM
Updated : 7 April 2015, 02:43 PM

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday said the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) will approve them after the elections.
 
The Election Commission on Monday sent a letter to the planning minister requesting the ECNEC not approve any project in Dhaka and Chittagong cities till the polls were over.
 
The ECNEC approved three other projects at its meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
 
The deferred projects are the Tk 1.52-billion Dhaka WASA Interim Water Supply Project, Tk 2-billion Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Infrastructure Development Project, and around Tk 20-billion projects for water supply, sanitation and heath improvement in 28 districts.

After the meeting, the planning minister told journalists the three projects were sent back because their approval could violate the electoral code of conduct.
  
The three projects approved were the Tk 4.42-billion Sylhet Road Construction Project, Tk 722.4-million project for purchase of two ships for the Dhaka-Barisal route and a Tk 1.23-billion project to upgrade of 490 playgrounds in 489 upazilas to stadiums.
 
43 percent ADP implemented
 
The minister told reporters 43 percent of the annual development programme (ADB) for the current 2014-15 fiscal year had been implemented in its first nine months.
 
The implementation rate was 40 percent in the same period in th last fiscal year.