The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved the production and development of high quality seeds of paddy, wheat and corn (2nd phase) at a cost of Tk 353.45 crore to produce some 150,000 tonnes of standard quality cereal seeds through contract farmers.

The approval was given at the 4th Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year held at the NEC conference room in the capital with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said, "Of the total, Tk 3,814.94 crore will come from the government exchequer, while the remaining Tk 147 crore from the respective organisations' own funds."

Of the approved projects, four are new, while two are revised.

Under the seed project, the planning minister said some 150,000 tonnes of standard quality cereal seeds, including paddy, wheat and corn, would be produced, processed and distributed among the farmers to ensure food security.

The countrywide annual demand for seeds is 370,000 tonnes, said Mustafa Kamal, adding that about 40 percent of the current demand could be met through this project, which will be implemented by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) in 166 upazilas of 35 districts in six divisions by June 2020.

The planning minister told journalists that the prime minister asked the authorities to quickly undertake initiatives to meet the remaining demand for quality seeds.

The meeting also gave its nod to another project titled "Damaged CC roads, drains and footpath development of five areas under Dhaka South City Corporation" at  a cost of Tk 250 crore. Of the total cost, Tk 175 crore will come from the exchequer, while Tk 75 crore from the DSCC's own fund.

While approving the project, Hasina directed the authorities concerned to make sure that the sewerage system remains effective to prevent waterlogging during the rainy season.

Also approved was a revised project titled "procurement of dredgers and other related equipments for dredging rivers of Bangladesh", worth Tk 1253.54 crore, to be implemented by the Bangladesh Water Development Board by December 2016.

The planning minister said that 21 dredgers in three different sizes - 650 mm diameter, 500 mm diameter and 250 mm diameters - would be procured under the project.

The meeting also approved the 1st revision of the 'Kalukhali-Bhatiapara section rehabilitation and Kashiani-Gopalganj-Tungipara new railway track construction' project at a cost of Tk 2023.72 crore, to be implemented by December 2017.

Through this project, new rail tracks will be laid on the Kashiani-Gopalganj-Tungipara route, linking the rail network with Kalukhali-Bhatiapara and Kashiani-Gopalganj-Tungipara section. The planning minister said the project would help set up a rail link through the under-construction Padma bridge project. The other projects approved were to create physical facilities for transfer of technology and innovation of BCSIR at a cost of Tk 36.63 crore, and for expansion of the BCS administration academy building and extension of its training facilities costing Tk 44.60 crore.