The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved the “Procurement of Equipment for Solid Waste Management” project with an outlay of Tk 160.12 crore, aiming to enhance the waste management capacity in Dhaka north, Dhaka south and Chittagong City Corporation areas.

The approval came from an Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room in the capital with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said 11 projects were approved involving an estimated cost of Tk 3,723.06 crore.

"Of the total project cost, Tk 3,603.67 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk 22.50 crore from the organisation's own fund, while the rest Tk 96.89 crore from project assistance," he said.

Of the approved projects, eight are new while three are revised ones.

The minister said the Local Government Division will implement the “Procurement of Equipment for Solid Waste Management” project by December 2018. Of the total project cost, Tk 63.24 crore will come from the state coffer, while the rest Tk 96.89 crore from project assistance.

The project also aims to reduce the emission of carbon in Dhaka and Chittagong, and develop sanitary situation through establishing sustainable waste management.

The main project operations include procurement of some 11 small dump trucks, 11 four wheel-drive dump trucks, 13 large dump trucks, 24 small compactors, 34 large compactors, procurement of 57 container carriers, procurement of 285 container boxes, establishment of spare parts storage for Dhaka South City Corporation, construction of a four-storey multipurpose building for training and vehicle maintenance workshop, constructing necessary infrastructures for DSCC for installing various machineries and drains, constructing spare parts storage for CCC, construction of a four-storey multipurpose building for training and vehicle maintenance workshop in Chittagong alongside constructing necessary infrastructures for CCC for installing various machineries and constructing drains.

The Ecnec meeting approved another project titled “Upgrading important regional highways into proper standard and width (Barisal Zone)” with Tk 521.36 crore.

The Roads and Highways Department under the Roads and Highways Division will implement it by December 2019.

Once the project is implemented, uninterrupted and safe road communication system will be established through developing some 130.12 kilometers of five regional highways in Barisal zone.

The meeting also approved the “Bond Management Automation” project with Tk 81.15 crore in a bid to bring full transparency in overall bond management.

The National Board of Revenue under the Internal Resources Division will implement it by December 2018.

The other projects approved at the meeting are -- “Development of government postgraduate colleges situated in district headquarters, 1st revised, with Tk 1,690.45 crore”, “Establishment of Faridpur Textile Institute with Tk 97.56 crore”, “Establishment of Sylhet Textile Institute with Tk 95.66 crore” and “Establishment of Chittagong Engineering and Technology University IT Business Incubator with Tk 76.91 crore”.

Ministers, state ministers concerned, planning commission members and secretaries concerned were present at the meeting.