ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved 24 projects worth Rs19.6 billion out of which 12 projects worth Rs781.39 billion were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further proceeding.
The CDWP meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz whereas Secretary Planning Commission Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui accompanied the Deputy Chairman. Senior officials from the federal and provincial governments participated in the meeting. The projects presented for approval include energy, health, education, manpower, governance, physical planning and housing, science and technology, transport and communications, water resources, agriculture and food, environment, information technology, governance, nutrition, and mass media. In addition, two position papers were presented in the meetings.
In the energy section, three projects were presented out of two projects were approved and one was referred to the ECNEC. The project of “Evacuation of power from Suki Kinari, Kohala and Mahl HPP in northern areas” was referred to the ECNEC for further approval. The projects approved were the “Installation of the pilot battery energy storage system” and “Dargai hydroelectric power station”.
In the transport and communications section, a total of eight projects were presented out of which six projects were referred to the ECNEC and two projects worth Rs112 million were approved by the CDWP. The projects that are referred to the ECNEC includes up gradation of Pakistan Railways’ existing main line-1 (ML1) at the cost of Rs38,1038, dualization of Mardan-Sawabi road at the cost of Rs9,550 million, construction of Peshawar-Torkham Motorway Project as part of Khyber pass economic corridor project (KPEC) at the cost of Rs41,440.50 million.
In the water resources sector, a total of five projects were presented out of which three projects worth Rs1,596 million were approved by the CDWP. However, two projects were sent to ECNEC for further approvals. The projects referred to the ECNEC include “Balochistan Water Resources Development project” worth Rs15,526 million and “Toiwar-Batozai storage dam project” worth Rs4,905 million. The CDWP approved projects are “Feasibility and detailed design of Baber Kach Dam on Nari River” at the cost of Rs75.072 million, “Chao Tangi Small Dam in South Waziristan” at the cost of Rs994 million and “Land and water monitoring/evaluation of Indus plan by SMO” at the cost of Rs469.271 million.
In the physical planning and housing section, a total of four projects worth Rs20,87.5 million were approved by the CDWP. The projects approved are “Construction of auditorium hall at Pakistan Marine Academy” worth Rs177.204, “Extension of presidential flats cat-IV and V AT Pakistan Marine Academy” at the cost of Rs. 190.345 million, “Construction of joint intelligence directorate in NACTA Headquarters Islamabad” at the cost of Rs400 million and “Project Readiness Financing (PRF) for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa intermediate cities improvement investment projects” at the cost of Rs1,320 million.
In the science and technology section, a total of seven projects were presented out of which six projects worth Rs6,539 million were approved. The approved projects are “Establishment of NUST Campus at Quetta” at the cost of Rs2,622.866, “Construction of Hostel / Sports Facilities at Karakoram International University” at the cost of Rs316.390, “Strengthening of University of Peshawar” at the cost of Rs748 million, “Academic and Research Linkages with different countries / agencies under bilateral agreement” at the cost of Rs467 million and “Establishment of Space Applications Research Centre, Gilgit Baltistan” at the cost of Rs665 million.
In agriculture and food, a total of two projects were presented and approved at the cost Rs1,057 million. The projects presented are as follow “Strengthening / Up-gradation of Agriculture and Livestock research System of Arid Zone Research Institute, Umerkot Sindh” at the cost of Rs528.592 million and “Establishment of Plant Breeders Rights Registry and Strengthening of DUS Examination System” at the cost of Rs528 million.
In the environment section, a total of three projects were presented out of which two projects were referred to the ECNEC and one project worth Rs1,848 million was approved. The projects referred to ECNEC are “Strengthening of Early Warning System of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD)” and “Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Services Project”. The project approved by CDWP is “installation of weather surveillance Radar at Multan” at the cost of Rs1,848 million.
In information technology, the establishment of Pakistan Space Centre was presented by SUPARCO. The total cost of this project is Rs26,998.9 million. It was referred to the ECNEC for further approval.
In governance section, a project of “Establishment of Special Protection Unit in AJK” was approved in the CDWP. The total worth of this project is Rs1,038 million.
In the health section, a total of two projects were presented and approved by the CDWP. The total cost of these projects is Rs1,328 million. The approved projects are “Replacement and Up-gradation of HVAC Plant Room Equipments and Allied Works at PIMS, Islamabad” and “up gradation of existing facilities of Hepatobiliary and organ transplant centre”.
In mass media section, the establishment of Sautul Quran FM Network Phase-II was approved by the CDWP. The total cost of this project is Rs138.689 million.
In culture, sports and tourism section, Laying of Synthetic Hockey Turf at Gilgit was approved by the CDWP. The total cost of this project is Rs123.713 million.
In manpower section, Establishing Centres of Excellence at National Training Bureau, NISTE and Heavy Machinery Operators Facilities at 13 districts were approved by the CDWP. The cost of this project is Rs1,801.00 million.
In education section, the Establishment of Islamabad Model College for Boys in Pakistan Town project was approved by the CDWP at the cost of Rs161.685 million.
