ECNEC approves Taka 951-crore underground grid substation at Gulshan

Read Time:2 Minute, 50 Second

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved the construction of 132/33/11 KV underground grid sub-station in city’s Gulshan area involving Taka 950.97 crore in a bid to ensure reliable power supply in the capital.

The approval was given at the new fiscal year’s first ECNEC meeting held at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of eight projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 6,493.08 crore.

“Of the total project cost, Taka 3,279.22 crore will come from the government exchequer, Taka 179.98 crore from the organization’s own fund while the rest Taka 3,033.88 crore from project assistance,” he added.

Of the approved eight projects, seven are new while one is a revised project.

AHM Mustafa Kamal said that JICA will provide Taka 628.97 crore for the construction of underground grid sub-station in Gulshan project. Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) Limited will implement the project by December 2023.

The project objectives also include enhancing capacity and reliability of power supply in Dhaka metropolis side by side striking a balance between power demand and supply, reducing public sufferings further through minimizing load shedding in DESCO area, reducing technical loss in power system, and thus creating facilities for newer power connections.

The project operations include installation of three 132/33 KV (120 MVA) power transformers (GITs), installation of another three 33/11 KV (50 MVA) power transformers (GITs), installation of some eleven 132 KV GIS switchgear sets, some twenty 33 KV GIS switchgear sets, some thirty one 11 KV switchgear sets, erection of 132 KV underground source lines, alongside accomplishing other necessary public works, procurement of other necessary machineries and equipments.

The planning minister said the construction of underground grid substation was earlier unthinkable in Bangladesh, but it is now turning into a reality due to the bold steps taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The day’s ECNEC meeting also approved the installation of cyclotron facilities at Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in Mymensingh, Cyclotron and pet-city in Chattogram and Institute of Nuclear Medical Physics (INMP), Savar with an estimated cost of Taka 673 crore.

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) under the Ministry of Science and Technology will implement the project by June 2022.

The main objectives of the projects are to diagnose cancer diseases and providing medicare services by using nuclear technology, creating medical physicists and nuclear medical technologists, diagnosis of various critical diseases like thyroid, kidney and liver problems and bone cancer.

The other projects approved in the meeting are Constructing Padma (Jashaldia) Water Treatment Plant, Phase-1, (2nd revised) with Taka 3,670.49 crore, Construction of community centers under Dhaka South City Corporation with Taka 268.76 crore, Construction of 16 regional passport offices with Taka 87 crore, Land acquisition and land development for constructing 100 MW solar power plant in Mollahat with Taka 82.71 crore, Sheikh Hasina Specialized Jute Textiles Mills with Taka 518.85 crore and Sonaimuri-Senbagh-Kalyandi-Chonderhat-Basurhat road development with Taka 241.30 crore.

Ministers and state ministers concerned attended the meeting while Planning Commission members and secretaries were present.