CDWP approves 24 projects worth Rs184.8 bn

ISLAMABAD: Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Tuesday approved 24 projects worth Rs184.8 billion out of which 10 projects worth Rs169.6 billion were referred to Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).

In addition to that one position paper of worth Rs709 million was also approved. The CDWP meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz. The meeting was also attended by the senior officials of federal and provincial governments as well as autonomous bodies.

The projects presented for approval include energy, transport & communication, water resources, physical planning & housing, science & technology, governance, health and mass media.

Energy Sector

In energy sector, CDWP recommended a project on evacuation of power from Suki Kinari, Kohala and Mahl Hydro Power Project in northern areas of worth Rs73.6 billion to ECNEC. The main objective of the project is construction of 500kV transmission network to provide interconnection facilities for evacuation of power from the said Hydro Power Plants.

Moreover, a project of feasibility study on developing mechanism for tariff based bidding of hydropower projects, review of feasibility studies for hydropower projects through local and foreign experts and capacity building of PPIB employees was approved with a cost of Rs64.3 million. The project will help enhance the capacity of PPIB.

Transport and Communication

CDWP approved 12 projects in transport & communication out of which six were referred to ECNEC. The projects include upgradation/ renovation of Bahawalpur, Raiwaind, Gujranwala, Karachi, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Lahore and Rawalpindi railway stations (Rs1.46 billion), replacement of old and obsolete signal gear from Lodhran-Multan-Khanewal-Shahdara Bagh Main line section of Pakistan Railways (Rs. 18.6 billion), improvement and widening of Chitral-Booni-Mastuj-Shandur Road (Rs19.1 billion), construction/rehabilitation of four bridges (Muzhgole Bridge, Osaik Bridge, Pokel Bridge and repairing of Churan Bridge) with approach road and allied components (Rs544.6 million), construction of Ziarat Mor-Kach-Harnai Road and construction of Harnai Sanjavi Road (Rs10.8 billion), construction of six lane overhead bridge at Imamia Colony Railway Crossing, Shahdara, (Rs2.1 billion), purchase of road clearance/earth moving machinery for prompt emergency response in AJK (Rs500 million), extension/up gradation of Bannu Airport for A-320/B-737 Aircraft Operations (Rs715 million), improvement of security at Karachi International Airport, Multan Airport and Islamabad Airport (Rs2.2 Billion), Land Acquisition for Rawalpindi-Kahuta Road (Rs5.3 Billion), Dualization of Rawalpindi-Kahuta road (Rs10.1 billion). Lastly, construction of northern by pass of Dera Ghazi Khan was recommended to ECNEC (Rs5.6 billion).

Physical Planning and Housing

In physical planning and housing, construction of Model Custom House at Gwadar was approved with a cost of 1.5 billion.

Water Resource

Feasibility study, detailed engineering design and preparation of tender documents of Murunj Dam Project were approved with a cost of Rs371.7 million. Darawat Dam Project was also recommended to ECNEC, the project would be completed with a cost of Rs11.8 billion.

Science & Technology

In science and technology section, two projects including one position paper was approved with the total cost of Rs3.3 billion.

The position paper tends on subsidy to scholars aboard under culture exchange program with a cost of Rs709 million.

The project for Development of National University of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, was also approved with a cost of Rs2.6 billion.

Governance

In governance, federal program under access to justice program worth Rs6.4 billion was recommended to ECNEC.

Health

In health sector, three projects were approved out of which one was referred to ECNEC. The projects include establishment of a current GMP complaint sera processing laboratory for capacity enhancement, biological production division, NIH Islamabad worth Rs751.1 million. A project titled establishment of centre for Neuro Sciences at PIMS, Islamabad, was referred to ECNEC worth Rs7.4 billion.

In addition, civil works for cancer hospital Islamabad was approved with a cost of Rs1.99 billion.

Mass Media

Two projects were approved in mass media sector which include installation of 100KW Medium Wave Digital Transmitter at Mirpur for countering cross-border propaganda costing Rs143.8 million and rehabilitation of medium wave services for Muzaffarabad (AJK) with a cost of Rs160.6 million.