The government has agreed in principle to build Bhola Bridge on Barishal-Bhola road across Tetulia and Kalabador rivers on the basis of Public-Private-Partnership (PPP). The project will be implemented by the Bridges Division.
The proposal was approved in principle at a virtual meeting on Thursday of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzak. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, who was who was out of the country, also attended the meeting virtually.
The meeting was also attended by members of the committee, senior secretaries of the cabinet divisions and senior officials of the concerned ministries.
At the end of the meeting, Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal briefed the journalists about the meeting.
He said, “In principle, approval has been given for the construction of Bhola Bridge on the Barishal-Bhola road over the Tetulia and Kalabador rivers on the basis of Public-Private-Partnership (PPP).
According to the Bridge Division proposal, the construction of the 10 km long bridge will cost Taka 12,916 crore.
Construction of Padma Bridge is underway and is expected to be completed in 2021. The impact of the proposed Bhola Bridge will be further strengthened through the Padma Bridge.
After the implementation of the proposed bridge, Bhola district will be directly connected to the capital Dhaka through the Padma Bridge.
The government thinks that if the proposed Bhola bridge is constructed, the benefits of the Padma bridge will increase further.
Shortly after the committee meeting, the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement was presented with a quotation of 75,000 tons of amyloid from new G2G (Government to Government) suppliers for the test run of bitumen and asphalt plant under Bashundhara Oil and Gas Company Limited (BOGCL).
Premium and price were considered and approved at the meeting. It will cost Tk 198.52 crore.
In addition, another proposal to upgrade Kushtia urban section of the Jhenaidah-Kushtia-Pakshi-Dashuria national highway to 4 lanes was approved.
Spectra Engineering got the job at a cost of Taka 146.75 crore.
Besides, the committee also approved a proposal to import 2,00,000 metric tonnes of bagged granular urea fertilizer through Chattogram and Mongla ports.
Of the total 2 lakh tonnes, the import of 1 lakh of bagged granular urea fertilizer through Chittagong Port by CNAMPGC Singapore PTE Limited Company under Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) will cost Taka 263.85 crore.
On the other hand, BCIC under the Ministry of Industries approved the import of 1 lakh metric tonnes of bagged granular urea fertilizer through Mongla port at a cost of Taka 265.16 crore.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement approved a proposal to extend the term of the 34-and-a-half-megawatt Venture Energy Resources Limited gas-fired power plant in Bhola by two years.
The government will have to spend Taka 148.95 crore to buy electricity from the power plant for the two years.
For the extended period from July 2019 to June 2020, the tariff rate has been proposed at Taka 3.7 per kilowatt/hour and from June 2020 to July 2021 the tariff rate was proposed at around Taka 2.60.
Besides, the meeting also approved the purchase proposal of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board for setting up solar powered irrigation pumps in turn-key system under the project titled 'Agricultural Irrigation through Solar Powered Pumps'.
ask/zn
