Bangladesh News

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday expressed dissatisfaction over the performances of different ministries as only 25 percent of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) has been implemented in the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

The original ADP for fiscal year 2008 was worth Tk 26,500 crore while spending in July-January period was only Tk 6,698 crore. During this period in the previous fiscal year, Tk 8,024 crore or 31 percent of the ADP was spent.

After a meeting of the Ecnec presided over Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, Planning Secretary Jafar Ahmed Chowdhury told journalists that secretaries of different ministries have been asked in the meeting to increase ADP implementation rate.

“Fate of common people is linked with the implementation of development programmes and the chief adviser in the meeting asked all to take it seriously,” he said.

He said tendering process of almost all development projects under different ministries have been completed and rest of the fiscal year would witness a speedy implementation of the ADP.

Sources said the meeting discussed ADP implementation performances of 10 major ministries, which share 81 percent of the total development budget.

Of the ministries, power division implemented only 21 percent of its allocation though there is acute power crisis in the country.

Agriculture ministry spent 37 percent, local government division 39 percent, health 25 percent, primary and mass education 37 percent, communication 17 percent, education 31 percent, water resources 13 percent, energy and mineral resources 13 percent and telecommunication 8 percent of its allocation.

Finance Adviser and Ecnec alternative chairman Mirza Azizul Islam, advisers and senior officials concerned were present at the meeting.

The meeting also approved 12 projects involving Tk 2,524 crore, including Tk 1,088 crore in foreign aid, UNB reports.

Three of the projects to be implemented with foreign aid are Bakhrabad-Siddhirganj Gas Distribution Pipeline of Tk 685 crore, including Tk 429 crore in aid, National Agriculture Technology Project (NATP) of Tk 622 crore, including Tk 574 crore in aid, and Char Development Settlement Project of Tk 94 crore, including Tk 85 crore in aid.

Nine of the projects to be implemented solely with local resources include Emergency Rehabilitation and Expansion of Urban Areas Power Distribution System Under Chittagong Zone, and Rehabilitation of Destroyed Distribution System Under Rural Electrification Programme for Sidr-hit areas.

The other locally funded projects are Procurement of Modern Equipment for Fire Service and Civil Defence, Environment Disasters and Resources Monitoring System, Construction and Development of Airport Road to Mirpur Cantonment Road, Construction of water supply and sewerage system in 18 district towns, and

Protection of Betil and Enayetpur Bazar areas from Erosion by Jamuna River, Union Parishad Development, and Rural Roads and Bazaar Infrastructure Development.