Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked the authorities concerned to come up with small-scale, rural or public welfare-oriented projects.

She gave the directive while chairing the meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the NEC conference room in Dhaka's Sher-e Bangla Nagar area.

"The Prime Minister said that megaprojects can't be undertaken, but there cannot be any compromise on small-scale, rural projects or welfare-oriented projects," Planning Minister MA Mannan said while briefing reporters after the meeting.

Sheikh 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 identify uncultivated land everywhere across the country and prepare those for cultivation.

"The Prime Minister said production will have to be increased. Not a single inch of land can be kept uncultivated," Mannan said, adding that the PM directed the Cabinet Secretary to identify uncultivated land with the help of deputy commissioners.

The PM asked everyone to be frugal and stop wastage amid the ongoing 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.