Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the authorities concerned to gradually withdraw subsidies from electricity and water to reduce burden on the state coffer.

She gave the directive at the last ECNEC meeting of the present government held at the NEC conference room in city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Thursday.

Planning Minister MA Mannan briefed reporters after the meeting.

Mannan said the prime minister had suggested for fixing charges or fees on such utilities according to area-wise, income-wise and family-wise perspective.

Answering to a question, Mannan said this is still an initial thought by the premier while related experts would work on it further to make the concerned charges and fees more justified."We'll have to come out from the trend of subsidies in phases and this is the main message," he said.

The Planning Minister said the prime minister once again stressed the need for a dedicated fund through realising tolls for maintaining the country's roads and highways in the long term.

Sheikh Hasina also underscored the need for having low lying areas on both sides of the highways so that rain water could be drained out from the roads and highways to those areas and thus the highways would not be damaged.

Mannan said the premier also asked the authorities concerned to pay attention so that the ongoing or future multi-storey buildings in the capital could not create air funnel in the way of air traffic movement.

When asked whether the government is concerned over the ongoing blockades called by BNP, the planning minister said, "We're not at all worried while there is no question for being feared since we're living in our own motherland."

He said the premier has put emphasis on conducting massive publicity on the benefits of the Universal Pension Scheme.

Mannan said that the Prime Minister in the meeting mentioned her strong voice on women's role in Islam as well as condemned the Israeli barbaric attacks on the innocent women and children of Palestine in her just concluded visit to Saudi Arabia.

The Planning Minister said the meeting approved a total of 44 projects since there would be no ECNEC meeting after the Election Commission would announce its schedule for the next election.

Mannan said if elected again and could form the government, the Awami League would be able to continue to work for the development of the nation.