CDWP approves six projects worth Rs 83.39 bn

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan on Wednesday presided over a meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) that approved four projects worth Rs 11.15 billion, ARY News reported.

Besides, it recommended two development projects worth Rs 72.240 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration, a news release said.

Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra, senior officials from the Planning Commission and Federal Ministries/Divisions, and Chairman/ACS (Dev) from provincial governments participated in the meeting.

Two projects namely “Upgradation of Transmission Network & Replacement of Optical Fiber Cable, AJK & Gilgit-Baltistan (revised) worth Rs1,999 million and “Prime Minister’s Initiatives Support for IT Startups, Specialized IT Trainings and Venture Capital (revised)” worth Rs 5,000 million were approved.

The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, presented a project “Establishment of Infectious Disease Laboratory” worth Rs 8,289.913 million which the forum recommended to ECNEC for approval.

The project envisages the establishment of a state-of-the-art Research and Development Laboratory to detect/analyze microorganisms.

Upon completion of the project after PC-I, the NIH will have a better capability for the detection of novel, exotic, emerging and re-emerging pathogens and their timely control as well as R&D facility which is an absolute necessity.

The CDWP also okayed two projects of the Ministry of Law & Justice namely “Construction of Litigants Facilitation center for Litigants and Lawyers in Sector G-10/1 Islamabad” with a cost of Rs 1,862 million and “Establishment of 93-No District Courts in Mauve Area G-11/4 Islamabad (revised)” worth Rs 2,232.736 million.

The CDWP recommended a project of the Sindh government namely “Competitive & Livable City of Karachi (CLICK) (revised)” worth Rs 6,3950.374 million to ECNEC for approval.

The project is proposed to be financed by World Bank’s loan of Rs 61116.815 million under Investment Project Financing(IPF) and Rs 2,833.559 million by the Sindh government.