ECNEC okays Tk5,452.42cr feeding programme at govt primary schools

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Sunday approved a Tk5,452.42 crore feeding programme for the government primary schools in a bid to ensure the intake of nutritious foods by the students and thus reduce their malnutrition.

The approval came from a meeting of the ECNEC held at the NEC Conference Room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area with ECNEC Chairperson and Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud said the day's meeting approved a total of 15 projects with an overall estimated cost of Tk21,139.45 crore.

“Of the total project cost, Tk14,193.57 crore will come from the government of Bangladesh portion, Tk6,539.29 crore as project loan while the rest of Tk406.59 crore from the concerned organisation's fund,” he said.

Among the approved projects, seven are new while eight are revised projects.

The school feeding programme also aims to enhance the enrollment and presence of the students at the primary schools side by side helping them successfully complete their studies.

Under the programme, some 3.13 million students at 19,419 primary schools in 150 upazilas would be given nutritious foods like fortified biscuits, bananas/seasonal fruits, bun, eggs, and UHT milk five working days a week.

The project areas under 150 upazilas in 62 districts of eight divisions have been selected based on the poverty mapping of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022.

Commenting on the project, the planning adviser said strict management and monitoring would be ensured during the distribution of such dry foods among the students so that such food items could not be sold out by the vested quarter in local markets.

He said the upazila nirbahi officers would be asked to properly monitor the programme so that the students properly get the food items.

“Such a programme will help to ensure nutrition of the students...it will also be possible to address dropouts and thus keep the students at schools.”

The adviser said the meeting discussed taking the initiative to determine the actual volume of land owned by the different public entities to ensure optimum utilisation of government-owned lands.

Citing that various government agencies and entities like Bangladesh Railway, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Zila Parishad, own huge land alongside the khas lands, Wahiduddin said these lands should be sorted out and new projects could be undertaken in those lands which are in suitable locations and are viable. Besides, the various industrial estates, BSCIC, closed down jute and sugar mills have unutilised lands while those could be utilised if necessary.

He said the Planning Commission could take an initiative on the integrated river infrastructure management to ensure optimum usage of surface water.

The planning adviser informed that the Ministry of Water Resources might take up a project this year to revive some 10 rivers, including Korotoa, Bhagor, and Titas, while efforts would be there to make those rivers free from encroachers.

He said that the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) under the Ministry of Planning would be strengthened further while the implementation progress of all the projects would be posted online in an effort to expedite the implementation pace.

Wahiduddin said the amendment to the government procurement policy has been approved by the Council of Advisers recently to bring much more transparency in the tender process side by side ensuring more competition.

He also informed that the tendering process under projects would be made 100% online in the coming days in a bid to enhance competition.

Answering a question, he said the revised project on the Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant has been given approval subject to condition.

There would be no sustainable solution to the water demand of the capital through lifting groundwater, rather surface water must have to be utilised fully, he said.

Referring to the second revision of the Payra Sea Port project, the adviser said the project had been a “Malignant Tumour” for the country's economy as it does not even have the potential for a river port, let alone dream of having a seaport.

He said the channel along the port is very long and it would need dredging every year to maintain the navigability there which is also very costly.

Other projects approved in the meeting are – construction of first terminal and ancillary facilities at Payra Sea Port, second revised, with an additional cost of Tk911.19 crore, enhancing the strengths of the existing runway and taxiway of Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport, first revised, with an additional cost of Tk81.88 crore, land acquisition for constructing sewerage treatment plant at Kalurghat in Chattogram metropolitan with around Tk2,154.99 crore, strengthening Institutions for Climate Change Adapted Water Resource Management in Dhaka with Tk53.40 crore.

The approved projects also include Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant, Phase-3, second revised, with an additional cost of Tk8,496.80 crore, Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center (second revised) with an additional cost of Tk397.01 crore, development of switching and transmission network towards strengthening digital connectivity, third revised, with a reduced cost of Tk0.01 crore, road widening and construction of two-storey road from Panchbati to Mukhtarpur Bridge, first revised, with an additional cost of Tk1,076.03 crore, establishment of Rangamati Medical College and Hospital and Nursing College with around Tk1,293.31 crore, establishment of 10 government secondary schools adjacent to Dhaka metropolitan, second revised, with an additional cost of Tk53.35 crore, maintenance and overhauling of affected food godowns and other ancillary infrastructure across the country with around Tk255.32 crore, maintenance and overhauling of record rooms at countywide Deputy Commissioners’ Offices with around Tk68.97 crore, developing proven bull for boosting production of milk and meat with around Tk69.48 crore, and constructing physical protection system at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, second revised, with an additional cost of Tk775.28 crore.

The meeting also approved deadline extension for the fourth time against three projects while the ECNEC meeting was also apprised of the prior approval of 13 projects by the planning adviser.