The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the Physical Protection System (PPS) Project for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant with an estimated cost of Tk 34.49 billion in a bid to ensure security to this plant.
The approval came at an ECNEC meeting with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair held at the NEC Conference Room in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area on Tuesday (Nov 5), reports BSS.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of 6 projects were approved involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 44.48 billion.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 44.4 billion will come from the state exchequer while the rest of Tk 79 million will come from the organization’s own fund,” he said.
Of the approved six projects, five are new while another one is a revised project.
The minister said the Nuclear Security and Physical Protection System Cell and Bangladesh Army, Army Headquarters, GS Section (coordination) will implement the project by March 2023.
The main project objectives include ensuring security to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant through implementing the physical protection system side by side creating a supporting environment for generating safe and protected nuclear power.
It also aims to face the risks generating from Design Basis Threat (DBT) or outside of DBT for the Nuclear Power Plant.
The planning minister said the concerned experts from Bangladesh Army in cooperation with the experts from the Russian Federation would implement the project.
A bilateral protocol between Bangladesh and the Russian Federation was signed on September 17 last year and in light of that agreement, the project has been undertaken.
According to the Planning Commission, establishing nuclear security infrastructures is indispensable for implementing any nuclear power plant project and it is also separate from the construction work of the nuclear power plant.
Besides, establishing an effective national nuclear security infrastructure is also very much important as a precondition for setting up a nuclear power plant.
The main project operations include some 300 acres of land acquisition, 1214678 cubic meters of land development, public works for security and physical protection system.
The planning minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the concerned executing agencies to implement their projects speedily maintaining quality within the stipulated timeframe.
Besides, the premier suggested relaxing or revisiting the Public Procurement Rules (PPR) so that the big contractors can not get the government works time and again, rather the other contractors can take part in the bidding and engage in healthy competition, the minister quoted her as saying.
The prime minister also asked all concerned Ministries and Divisions for not constructing bridges in the rural areas without urgency because such bridges deter the usual flow of water.
Besides, she also underscored the need for constructing new roads carefully as the present government is eager to upgrade all the inter-district roads to four-lanes and improved regional highways, the planning minister said.
The other projects approved in the meeting are – Jashore (Rajarhat)-Monirampur-Keshobpur-Chuknagar Regional Highway Development with Tk 3.66 billion, Construction of 391.34 meter Muhuri Bridge and 50.12 meter Fazilaghat Bridge with Tk 713.8 million, Road Development Project from Ekotabazar to BNS Sheikh Hasina at Cox’s Bazar with Tk 3.61 billion, Construction of Parjatan Bhaban at Agargaon, 1st revised with Tk 790.1 million and Protecting both sides of River Surma in Dashgram, Mahtabpur and Rajapur Pargana areas under Sylhet Sadar and Biswanath Upazilas with Tk 1.21 billion.