— CDWP sanctions 31 projects worth Rs 360 billion
— 12 mega projects valuing Rs 342 billion referred to ECNEC
— Govt holds second CDWP meeting in one month
ISLAMABAD: With the commencement of the election year, the federal government has decided to speed up the sanction of development projects despite the looming financial crisis and increasing the budget deficit.
The Central Development Working Party has sanctioned another 31 development projects worth Rs 360 billion including 12 mega projects valuing Rs 342 billion that have been referred to Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) for their final approval.
It merits mentioning that it is the second CDWP meeting which has been held during this month. The CDWP had also approved several transport projects on October 4.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Sartaj Aziz chaired the CDWP meeting here on Thursday. Officials from different ministries and provincial governments also attended the meeting. The projects approved include schemes in transport & communications, energy, water resources, information technology, physical planning & housing, environment and health.
In the energy sector, CDWP has approved three projects worth Rs 3.714 billion. In addition to that, three energy projects worth Rs 41.387 billion were referred to ECNEC for further approval.
The projects approved in the energy sector are the construction of 132 kV grid station at Splinji and Allied 132 KV SDT Darwaza –Splinji transmission line (65 km), 220 kV Jamrud substation along with associated 220 kV transmission line and the establishment of new 132 kV grid station Puran, Tehsil Martung.
The CDWP considered two projects of water resources with the total proposed cost of Rs 16 billion. Both of these projects were referred to ECNEC. The water resources project approved are Construction of 200 Dams/Check Dams in Killa Abdullah, Gulistan and Deobandi Tehsils, District Killa Abdullah, and Construction of Garuk Storage Dam, District Kharan, Balochistan. Both of these projects were sent to ECNEC for further evaluation.
The CDWP meeting also recommended two projects of transport and communications with the total proposed cost of Rs 193 billion. Both of these projects were referred to ECNEC for further approval. The projects approved in transport and communications sector design, tendering assistance and construction of Malakand tunnel project valuing Rs 177.9 billion, and procurement/construction of six maritime patrol vessels (4 x 600 tons and 2 x 1500 tons MPVs) for Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) at a cost of Rs 15.948 billion.
A total of nine physical planning and housing projects were proposed in CDWP out of which 7 were approved and one was referred to ECNEC. The total proposed cost of these projects is Rs 28 billion. The approved projects in physical planning and housing are constructed of SSP office, lines HQ and beat for national highways and motorway police at Gwadar Balochistan, construction of accommodation for 4 x wing at Gorgana, Painda Cheena, Dogra, Shilman Khyber Agency, construction of model prison at H-16, Islamabad, land acquisition and site development for Pakistan Institute of Development Economics for construction of new campus, improvement and uplift of Gulshan-e-Jinnah F-5/2, Islamabad, construction of federal lodge No.II Shami Road Peshawar and construction of accommodation, training and administrative blocks and barracks at Gilgit, Hunza, Diamer and Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan for the establishment of Special Protection unit (SPU) for Gilgit Baltistan police.
The CDWP also considered four science and technology projects out of which three were approved. The cost of these projects is Rs 2.35 billion. The projects approved are development of Sindh Madrasatul Islam (SMIU) campus at Education City, Malir, Karachi (Phase-I), the upgrade of silicon strip tracker and muon system for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment, research and development and up-gradation and strengthening of R&D labs of National Centre for Physics.
In the health sector, one project with a total cost of Rs 33 billion was referred to ECNEC for further approval. The project approved is Prime Minister’s National Health Program (Phase-II)
The CDWP considered five projects of Industries and Commerce out of which three were approved and one project was referred to ECNEC. The projects approved are fruits, vegetables and condiments processing centre Naushehro Feroze, national business development program for SMEs and product development centre (PDC) for composites based sports goods.
The CDWP also approved a governance sector project with the total cost of Rs 732 million. The project approved is CPEC support project by the ministry of planning, development and reform.
In environment sector, the CDWP approved one project with a cost of Rs 193.6 million. The approved project is the generation of global environmental benefits from improved decision making systems.
