Expressway: Tk 3216cr for land acquisition

18 October 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved a Tk 3,216 crore support project of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway to acquire land and rehabilitate people displaced by the land acquisition. Chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Ecnec meeting has also nodded to a project titled Setting up Information Technology based Rural Post Office. Under the Support to Dhaka Expressway PPP Project, a total of 129.96 acres land will be acquired and compensation will be disbursed among the affected people. According to a Planning Ministry proposal, the 26-kilometre long four-lane elevated expressway will be built linking Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kutubkhali on Dhaka-Chittagong highway. A total of 1,000 new post offices with internet facilities will be constructed throughout the country and 1,500 existing post offices will be modernised under the Setting up Information Technology based Rural Post Office project. Apart from this, the Ecnec also approved a Tk 150-crore project for the rehabilitation work of Meghna Bridge on emergency basis. The project will be completed within a year. Ecnec approved 10 development projects, including these three, with an outlay of Tk 4,458 crore. It has also nodded to another Tk 422-crore revised project with a view to making the capital's east-west road network free of traffic congestion and connecting it with the Eastern Bypass, reports UNB. A six-km road from Pragati Sarani intersection (East-end point of Madani Avenue) to Balu River will be constructed under the project, which is expected to be completed by June, 2013. The other projects approved at the meeting are: Modernisation and Expansion of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation project (Tk 59 crore), Satkhira Medical College and Hospital Construction project (Tk 268 crore), International Mother Language Institute Establishment (2nd phase) project (Tk 55 crore), Dredging of a pilot channel at the downstream of the Feni river and the protection of the left bank of the river in its west upstream area under Mirsarai Upazila project (Tk 64 crore), Biodiversity Conservation and Ecotourism Development project (Tk 48 crore), Rehabilitation of Narasunda River and Development of Kishoreganj Pourashava adjoining areas (Tk 63 crore).