Ghorashal-Palash Urea Fertiliser plant costs escalate, time extended

The government has increased the costs and time for the implementation of the Ghorashal-Palash Urea Fertiliser plant.

The costs have been raised by 48 percent to Tk 15,500 crore and implementation time has been extended till June 2024.

The National Economic Council Executive Committee (ECNEC) gave the approval at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday.

The ECNEC meeting, which was the fifth of its kind this fiscal year, approved a total of six projects involving Tk 7,018.73 crore.

United News of Bangladesh adds: The six projects included one to restore four canals in Dhaka at a cost of Tk 899 crore.

Under the scheme, some 20-km of four canals –Kalunagar, Jirani, Manda and Shyamnagar—under the Dhaka South City Corporation would be restored to solve waterlogging and improve the environment through beautification.

“The meeting approved five fresh projects and one revised project. The total estimated cost of the six projects including the revised one is some Tk 7,018.73 crore,” Planning Minister MA Mannan told a news briefing after the meeting. 

Of them, Tk 4,362.63 crore will be mobilised from the government’s fund while Tk 269.62 crore from a concerned organisation’s fund and Tk 2,386.48 crore from the external sources as foreign debt, he said.

According to the project factsheet, Dhaka South City Corporation will implement the canal project titled “Recovering and Restoration of Canals and Creation of Aesthetic Environment” by June 2026 to restore or develop 19.78 km of the four canals at the cost of Tk 898.73 crore.

Of the cost, Tk 629.11 crore will be spent from the government fund, while the rest Tk 269.62 crore will be provided by the DSCC.

Under the project, 8.9 km (217,500 sq metres) of Manda canal, 4.78 km (57,360 sq metres) of Shyamnagar canal, 3.9 km (78,000 sq metres) of Jirani canal and 2.4 km (28,800 sq metres) of Kalunagar canal will be restored or developed.

The major project operations include cleaning up the canals, removing siltation, construction of slope protection and drainage structures, making landscapes and greening the areas.

Besides, 38.06 km eye-catching protection walls, 36 pedestrian bridges, 19 bridges for car movement, 10 public toilets, 32.44 km of walkways, 04 plazas and bicycle lanes will be installed and 771 beautiful lamps will be installed to create aesthetic environment and enhance civic amenities under the project.