Properly design infrastructure in first phase to avoid wasting money, time: PM Hasina

Infrastructure projects should be properly designed in the first phase so that it doesn't need to be demolished and redone leading to a waste of money and time, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Tuesday. 

The prime minister gave the directive at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Economists (Ecnec) in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters after the meeting.

Mannan said the directive came while approving the revised plan of the bridge construction project over the Nabaganga river in Narail's Kalia.

"After the bridge was built, it was seen that it was not possible for boats to pass under it. As a result, a part of the bridge had to be broken. It is a waste of money and time and the prime minister expressed her disappointment," Mannan added.

The trend of revisions in ongoing development projects increased towards the end of the last fiscal year.

Out of the total 18 projects, involving around Tk11,388 crore, approved at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) meeting held at the NEC conference room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in June, the costs of nine projects were revised. 

Out of the nine projects, six had already undergone cost revision one or more times.

The original cost of the nine revised projects was around Tk9,308 crore, which increased to around Tk23,978 crore.