Dhaka: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved the ‘Local Governance Support Project-3 (LGSP-3) involving Tk 5,535 crore following the successes of the LGSP-1 and LGSP-2.

The approval came from the weekly ECNEC meeting held at the NEC conference room with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports UNB.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of eight projects were approved today involving an estimated cost of Tk 12,550.78 crore.

‘Of the total project cost, Tk 9,192.39 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk 873.54 crore from the organisation’s own fund while the rest of Tk 2,484.85 crore from project assistance,’ he said.

Of the approved eight projects, seven are new while another is revised one.

The Planning Minister said the Local Government Division will implement the project by December 2021. Of the total project cost, the government will provide Tk 3,153 crore while the rest of Tk 2,382 crore will come as project assistance from the World Bank.

He said although the local government system is an important part of the government, the local government institutions work in a very limited policy and institutional environment as financial freedom, decision making authority, revenue mobilisation, transparency and accountability are very limited.

Mustafa Kamal said the main objectives of the project are to build the capacity of local government institutions.

He said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the meeting asked the authorities concerned to set up single-color signboards bearing brief description of the projects at the project sites while implementing any project including the LGSP-3.

The Prime Minister also directed them for building homes in char areas in a planned way to save farm land.

The ECNEC meeting also approved Khulna Division Rural Infrastructure Development Project with Tk 2,635.70 crore to be entirely borne by the nation exchequer and be completed by December 2021.

The Local Government Engineering Department will implement the project in 59 upazilas of 10 districts — Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Jessore, Jhenidah, Magura, Narail, Kushtia, Meherpur, and Chuadanga.

The key project operations include some 342 kilometers of upazila road development, some 868.50 km of union road development, some 1338 km village road development, construction of some 820 meters of bridges and culverts, construction of 2162 meters of bridges and culverts on union and village roads, some 1163 km of road maintenance.

Hasina asked the authorities concerned to keep in mind the heights of the bridges in those areas of the project where there are frequent tides and waves.

Regarding the approval of the construction of Barisal and Sylhet Armed Police Battalion (APBN) and Range Reserve (RRF) Police Line with Tk 231.65 crore, the minister said Sheikh Hasina has directed the Home Minister to come up with a mega covering all the necessary police lines to ensure their infrastructural development.

The other projects approved at the meeting are Climate Tolerant Rural Infrastructures with Tk 418.48 crore, Infrastructural facility extension of Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Mirpur Cantonment with Tk 421.09 crore, Development of Ananna Residential Area (2nd phase) at Agrabad in Chittagong with Tk 2,832.98 crore, Building connecting road from Natore Road (RUET) to Rajshahi Bypass, 1st revised with Tk 139.87 crore and Construction of Patuakhali-Paira 230 KV Transmission lines with Tk 336.01 crore.

Ministers and State Ministers, and Secretaries concerned were present.