The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved six development projects involving Tk 961 crore including one to bring country’s 4.5 million people, aged 15-45 years, under basic literacy program.
The approval came from a meeting of the ECNEC held at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair,.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal informed that six (6) development projects costing Tk 961 crore were approved today (Tuesday).
“Of the total project costs, Tk 763 crore will come from the government fund while the remaining Tk 198 crore from own funds of respective organizations,” he said.
Planning Commission sources said that under the ‘Basic literacy project (64 districts) covering 250 upazilas in all the 64 districts of the country, some 4.5 million people, aged 15-45 years, will have the opportunity of receiving basic literacy and life skill education. The project cost is Tk 453 crore and it is expected to be completed by June 2018.
The project has been formulated in line with the government’s pledge of eradicating illiteracy from the country by 2014.
In accordance with the Non-Formal Education (NFE) mapping report-2009, the number of country’s illiterate people between the age group 11 and 45 years is about 35 million.
Since there is no scope of bringing this huge number of people under formal education program, providing them a second chance of education is possible through non-formal education.
The day’s ECNEC meeting gave nod to another project with a cost of Tk 198 crore aiming at developing gas distribution system and covering gas deficit in Joydevpur roundabout, Rajendrapur, Chandra, Kaliakoir, Dhaka EPZ and Tongi area by increasing 300 mmcfd gas flow at Joydevpur CGS. Titas Gas Co. will implement the project during July 2013-December 2015 term.
The other projects approved in the meeting are: ‘Bangladesh Textile University Development project’ (Tk 84.40 crore-GoB); ‘Establishment of Beel Nursery and releasing fingerlings in open water bodies’ project (Tk 118 crore-GoB); ‘Construction of NGO Affairs Bureau office Building’ project (Tk 34.41 crore-GoB); and ‘Production of Electricity by Co-generation and Establishment of Sugar Refinery at North Bengal Sugar Mills’ project (Tk 73.47 crore-GoB).
ECNEC members including Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, concerned ministers, Members of the Planning Commission, Secretaries and officials concerned were present in the meeting.
Source: UNB Connect
