The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at a meeting on Tuesday approved two similar projects to extend power distribution lines in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions to give some 4.15 lakh new power connections involving Taka 2,215.17 crore.

ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting held in the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of nine projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 16,433.27 crore.

“Of the total project cost, Taka 13,620.27 crore will come from the GoB portion, Taka 285.61 crore from the organization’s own fund while the rest of Taka 2,527.39 crore from project assistance,” he said.

Of the approved nine projects, five schemes are new while four others are revised ones.

The prime minister also stressed the need for developing an integrated communication system across the country comprising the roads, railways and waterways.

Mannan said the ECNEC meeting praised highly the PDB and the REB for their works over the years to widen the coverage of electricity across the country.

The Planning Minister said both the power distribution line projects aim at ensuring cent percent electrification by 2021 in the project areas, strengthening and improving further the power distribution system to provide uninterrupted power supply for every user by 2030, improving the socio-economic conditions of people in the project areas and providing improved client services.

The Rangpur division power distributions line and substations extension and rehabilitation project will be implemented by the Northern Electric Supply Company (NESCO) Limited under the Power Division with an estimated cost of Taka 1,123.85 crore. The project is scheduled to be implemented by June, 2022.

The project will be implemented at 21 city corporation, pourasabha and upazila areas under eight districts of Rangpur division. The project will also increase the capacity by 220 MVA and some 1.80 lakh new power connections will be provided.

The main project operations include erection of some 3,192 kilometer new power connections, renovation of the existing 1,739 kilometer old lines, standard up-gradation and rehabilitation of some 10 33/11 KV sub-stations, installation of 4,326 distribution transformers and some 368 11KV capacitor banks.

The Rajshahi Division distribution line and substation extension and rehabilitation project will be implemented also by the Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) Limited under the Power Division with an estimated cost of Taka 1,091.32 crore. The project is scheduled to be completed by June, 2022.

This project will also increase the capacity by 470 MVA and some 2.35 lakh new power connections will be provided.

The main project operations include installation of some 3 new 33/11 KV power sub-stations, standard up-gradation and rehabilitation of some 20 33/11 KV sub-stations, erection of some 2,042.5 kilometer new lines, rehabilitation of some 1,411 kilometer dilapidated lines, installation of some 3,851 distribution transformers, installation of 25 circuit breakers as well as installation of 311 capacitor banks.