ECNEC approves number projects worth Rs. 440bn

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Thursday approved a number of important developmental projects worth Rs. 440 billion including Karachi-Lahore motorway, ARY News reported.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chaired the ECNEC’s meeting, which was held in Islamabad today.

The ECNEC approved construction of Sukkur-Multan section of Karachi-Multan-Lahore Motorway with a rationalized cost of Rs. 259.3 billion.

It also approved the project for Land Acquisition for construction of 959 kilometer Karachi Lahore Motorway at a cost of Rs.51 billion.

The ECNEC approved raising of Balochistan Constabulary project at a cost of Rs.5.146 billion.

The meeting also approved Rs. 26.9 billion for Sindh’s Flood Emergency Reconstruction Project for Bunds and Canals with financial aid of Asian Development Bank.

The ECNEC also approved acquisition of land for establishment of Free Trade Zone at Gwadar at a cost of about Rs.6.5 billion. 2281 acres of land would be obtained for the project.

Furthermore, Rs. 19 billion were approved for the maintenance of Qalat-Quetta-Chaman Road. The ECNEC principally approved the Prime Minister’s Programme for Provision of Laptops to one hundred thousand talented students at a cost of Rs.4.928 billion.

Besides, ECNEC approved Rs. 4 billion for establishing IT and Telecom institutes in Islamabad while Rs. 30 billion approved for Hasanabdaal, Burhan and Havelian Expressway.