Asrayan-2 project cost increasing again

The cost of Asrayan-2 project is going to increase. Therefore, the proposal for the fourth amendment of the project has been sent to the Planning Commission. Expenditure of Tk 6,317.61 crore is being increased in the fourth amendment.

The cost of Asrayan-2 project is going to increase. Therefore, the proposal for the fourth amendment of the project has been sent to the Planning Commission. Expenditure of Tk 6,317.61 crore is being increased in the fourth amendment.

At present, the total cost of the project is Tk 4,840.26 crore. If ECNEC is approved in the fourth amendment, the total cost of the project will be 11 thousand 142 crores 8 lakh. At the same time, the duration of the project is being extended by one year till June 2023. This information has been known from the ECNEC working paper.

The implementing agency has proposed a fourth amendment to the project in the Prime Minister's Office for three reasons:

(A) Implementation of Housing Policy for Landless and Homeless People of the country on the occasion of Mujib Centenary-2020

(B) Gracious instructions from the Prime Minister to complete the work of the project by 2023 and

(C) Determining the construction cost of a single house according to the partially revised design at Tk 240,000.

According to the Planning Commission, the project is expected to be completed from July 2010 to June 2022 as per the Third Amendment. However, a proposal to extend the project for another year till June 2023 through the Fourth Amendment will be presented at the ECNEC meeting. The implementation period of the project will end in June 2023 if the Fourth Amendment is approved in the ECNEC meeting on Tuesday.

The purpose of the project is to rehabilitate the landless, homeless, marginalized, and helpless poor in Bangladesh, alleviate poverty by creating income-generating activities and enable the beneficiaries to make a living by providing loans and training. The ADP for the current financial year (2021-22) has allocated Tk 300 crores for this project.

The main activities of the project are- Rehabilitation of 4,85,092 landless, homeless, uprooted, and helpless families, building 5,149 paved barracks, construction of 5,078 CICIT barracks in char areas, construction of 4,393 semi-permanent barracks, construction of 60 multi-story buildings, construction of 1,120 houses, construction of centers, construction of 580 specially designed houses, construction of 565 ponds, internal roads, box culverts, paved drains and slope protection, installation of shallow/deep tube wells in all project villages and construction of internal roads.

According to the Planning Commission concerned, the project will ensure housing facilities for the landless, homeless, uprooted, and poor people. Besides, the project will make a significant contribution to the development of the backward rural population by creating employment through various training. Considering these aspects, the project is in line with the objectives and goals of the Eighth Five Year Plan.

Ramendra Nath Biswas, Member (Secretary), Department of Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions, Planning Commission, said that partial design of the single house has been approved by the Prime Minister and construction cost has been increased from Tk 2 lakh to Tk 240,000. In addition, the RDPP has been restructured as per the instructions in the project document that the project work will be completed by June 2023. With these considerations, the project will be taken up at the ECNEC meeting for revision.