DHAKA: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council Tuesday approved five projects involving Tk 1,847 crore, including two big ones for giving new electricity connections in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet.

Of the total project costs, the government will finance Tk 1,747 crore while Tk 100 crore will come from Japan Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF) to implement the projects.

The two power projects are: Tk 498 crore Rural Electrification Extension Dhaka Divisional Programme–1 project and Tk 498 crore Rural Electrification Extension Ctg-Sylhet Divisional Programme–1 project.

The other projects are Tk 87 crore Infrastructural Development Project in different areas under Chittagong City Corporation, Tk 698 crore project under Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry for establishing 30 training centers across the country and Tk 66 crore Basic and Applied Research Project on Jute under Agriculture Ministry.

With ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, the executive committee in a meeting held in the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar NEC conference room gave the approval.

Planning Minister Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandaker, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Labour and Expatriates Welfare Minister Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen, Commerce Minister Lt. Col. (retd) Faruk Khan, Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Prime Minister`s Advisers Dr Alauddin Ahmed and Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury and State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Brig (retd) Enamul Haq attended the meeting.

After the meeting, the Planning Minister said the two Rural Electrification Board (REB) projects would take three years to complete.

“The government has taken the decision considering the growing demand for electricity,” he said.

BDST: 1957 HRS, AUG 24, 2010.