The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved a Taka 1159.21 crore project to improve the infrastructures of government primary schools at Dhaka metropolis and in Purbachal.

The approval came from the 14th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal (FY20) 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 MA Mannan said that a total of 9 projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 4,611.62 crore. “Of the total project cost, Taka 4,366.12 crore will come from the government’s own fund while the rest of Taka 245.50 crore from the concerned organization’s own fund.”

Of the approved nine projects, seven are new while two others are revised projects.

The Planning Minister said the Directorate of Primary Education under the Ministry of Primary Education will implement the project for improving infrastructures of government primary schools by December 2024.

The main project operations include construction of 14 new primary schools including 3 in Uttara and 11 in Purbachal, construction of 2975 primary school rooms under 154 schools and 8500 boundary walls.

Besides, there will be maintenance and repair of some 1167 primary school rooms under 177 schools, 25536 boundary walls alongside renovation of 356 boundary walls, formulation of necessary master plan, necessary land acquisition and land filling.

Once the project is implemented, child-friendly education environment would be ensured and improved for some 2 lakh primary school students.

The day’s ECNEC meeting approved another project to improve the selected educational institutions at Haor areas in Netrakona and Sunamganj with Taka 944.80 crore.

The main project operations include construction of some 52 students hostel, construction of some 31 multipurpose buildings, one teachers’ dormitory and construction of boundary walls at 31 educational institutions.

The Planning Minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the authorities concerned to find out ways for relaxing the load of exams on the primary school students so that they can get more time to play.

She also suggested for covering the rest of educational institutions in Haor areas other than Netrakona and Sunamganj under a project for ensuring necessary improvement.