PM Tarique Rahman asks to cut consultant costs and use in house staff

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed authorities to reduce consultant costs in development projects. He also advised using skilled in-house staff for such work. Planning State Minister Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki told reporters about the directive.

The prime minister has also instructed authorities to add storage capacity to the solar power project planned in Rampal. Although the project has been approved, it must be revised quickly to include batteries capable of storing electricity for eight hours. The project will also have to raise funds by issuing bonds. Although this will increase costs to some extent, it will be done.

In response to a question, the planning state minister said the cost of electricity from the project would be less than Tk 7 per unit.

Jonaed Saki made the remarks at a briefing after the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting on Wednesday.

Planning Commission members (secretaries) Dr. Kamrun Nahar and Dr. Manzur Hossain and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Planning S M Mosaddeque were also present at the briefing held at the NEC conference room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.

“Four projects of city corporations have been approved. Preparations for these projects had been underway for a long time. Therefore, they have no connection with the local government elections,” the planning state minister added.

He said solar panels would be installed at the site of the second unit of the coal fired power project in Rampal.

In response to a question, the state minister said an STP must be installed within two years if sewerage lines are constructed in the capital. He added that the prime minister had instructed authorities to give special importance to quality when constructing roads and other infrastructure.

In this regard, if any government infrastructure is damaged within at least three years, the contractor must be held responsible. Such a provision must be included in the project. The prime minister also instructed that infrastructure projects of Rangpur City Corporation be implemented according to the city corporation’s master plan.

“A proposal to purchase vehicles was included in one project, but it has been canceled,” the state minister said.

In response to another question, he said the railway would be modernized and upgraded. As part of this process, 30 electric locomotives will be purchased.