CDWP approves Rs40bn for uplift of 20 vulnerable districts

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Saturday approved Rs40 billion projects for the uplift of 20 vulnerable districts of Pakistan, besides addressing disparity in economic development in the country.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal.

The Planning Ministry has launched the programme, which is comprising of 5 years (2022-27) and would be completed on 50 percent cost-sharing basis by the federal government and provincial governments.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Iqbal said that this is the first of its kind project in the economic history of Pakistan where the federal government was undertaking a national intervention to uplift the vulnerable districts and address disparity in economic development in the country.

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“During our last tenure, we completed the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index survey with the help of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which for the first-time mapped poverty at district levels across the country,” he added.

Identified on the basis of scores in this MPI, the selected 20 vulnerable districts include 11 districts from Balochistan, 5 from Sindh, 3 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1 from Punjab, he said adding that many of these districts were direly affected by the recent flood disaster.

He said that the main objective of this project is to promote inclusive growth and equitable development through targeted investments in infrastructure and human capital development in the poorest districts of the country, adding that investments in human capital development, especially young people and women, is among the primary pillars of the project.

Aligned with Pakistan Vision 2025 and the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, the project aims to make a significant contribution towards reducing regional inequality and strengthening national integration and harmony in the country, he added.

He said that the project is part of the Youth Development Program launched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month, adding the other initiatives under this program include 2,000 internships for young engineers, besides 250 mini-sports complexes initiative, Pakistan Innovation Fund and 75 National Top Talent Scholarships.