Staff Correspondent: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the authorities concerned not to go for mega projects and instead take up small ones focusing on rural development and public welfare.

She made the directives while chairing the meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e Bangla Nagar area.

“The Prime Minister said the luxury projects can’t be taken up. But small rural projects or welfare oriented projects cannot be compromised. Mega projects can’t be undertaken,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting.

Hasina, also the Ecnec chairperson, stressed the need for a thorough feasibility study in case of undertaking any big project.

She also asked the authorities concerned to find out uncultivated lands everywhere across the country to grow food and other crops.

“The Prime Minister said production will have to be raised. Not a single inch of land can be kept uncultivated,” said Mannan adding that she directed the cabinet secretary to identify the uncultivated lands with the help of deputy commissioners.

The PM asked everyone to be frugal and stop wastages amid the global recession.

The Ecnec meeting cleared seven projects with a total estimated cost of Tk 3,981.90 crore (only additional costs of three revised projects were counted here).

Of the cost, Tk 3,392.33 crore will be drawn from the government’s fund, while Tk 267.35 crore from the own funds of the organisations concerned and Tk 332.21 crore will come from the foreign sources.