The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday approved the Rampal solar power plant and 12 other development projects involving 16,207.55 crore taka.

The approved projects comprise 10 new schemes, two revised projects and one project involving an extension of its implementation period.

The government will provide 10,600.80 crore taka from its own funds, while 4,081.85 crore taka will come as project loans and 1,524.91 crore taka from the concerned organisations’ own funds.

Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman presided over the meeting at the Secretariat.

Seven of the approved projects are under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.

These include a project to improve road infrastructure and drainage systems in 18 wards of five newly incorporated areas of Dhaka South City Corporation; infrastructure development in important areas of Rangpur City Corporation; rehabilitation of damaged roads in Rangpur City Corporation; and construction of roads, drains and footpaths in zones 1 to 8 of Gazipur City Corporation.

The ECNEC also approved a project to construct a 442MW peak solar power plant at Rampal under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

Other approved projects include one to develop women’s skills and create entrepreneurs through cooperatives; a rural infrastructure development project in Sirajganj, Bogura and Naogaon districts; and the second phase of the Important Urban Infrastructure Development Project under its second revision.

A Ministry of Shipping project for the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) was approved in its third revision. It involves procuring 35 commercial vessels and eight auxiliary vessels and constructing two new slipways.

The ECNEC also approved a railway project to expand the capacity of Bangladesh Railway through the procurement of 30 metre-gauge diesel-electric locomotives.

The Foreign Ministry’s project to renovate and modernise the purchased chancery building in Paris, France, was also approved so that it can be put into use.

Two projects under the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry also received approval. One involves constructing the Second Karatoya Bridge at the 15th kilometre of the Bhajanpur-Nijbari-Atorkhari-Mayanguri-Amtali-Mirgh-Panchagarh (Z-5060) road, while the other is the second revised Thanchi-Rumaikri-Madak-Likri road construction project.

Meanwhile, the ECNEC was informed about a project costing less than 50 crore taka that had already been approved by the Planning Minister.

The project involves re-excavating the Nandahar and Harabati rivers and the Nungola and Kharoa canals in Joypurhat district.