ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved on Thursday various projects worth over Rs 82 billion, including two dams in Balochistan and BRTS Green Line.
The approval came at a meeting held with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in the chair.
ECNEC approved the Toiwar/Batozai Storage Dam Project in Killa Saifullah district of Balochistan at the second revised cost of Rs4.9 billion. The Balochistan Irrigation Department will execute the project.
The project will provide storage of 95,000 acre feet of water and 16,750 acres of land would be brought under cultivation. Prevention from flood damages and improvement of socio economic conditions are other benefits of the project.
The ECNEC directed the government of Balochistan to ensure the completion of the project within revised approved scope and cost.
The Naulong Dam project- updated 2nd Revised PC-I, was also accorded an approval in principle to enable the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) to start negotiation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for finalizing details of project financing.
The ECNEC also directed to constitute a committee under Minister for EAD, Minister for Planning Development and Reforms, Deputy Chairman Privatisation Commission, representative from the Ministry of Water and Power and Government of Balochistan to discuss the issues related with the preparation of second revised PC-I of the project. The committee will give its input within two weeks time.
The ECNCEC also approved operationalisation of Green Line BRTS and installation of integrated intelligent transport system equipment- updated modified PC-I at the total cost of Rs10.9 billion with Rs53.16 billion as the Foreign Exchange Component (FEC).
The project of National Electronic Complex of Pakistan, Phase 1 in H-9/1 sector Islamabad, was also approved at a revised total cost of Rs16.1 billion.
Of this total budgeted cost, an amount of Rs 13.4 billion has been provided by China as loan and grant.
The project will help in technology acquisition for achievement of self-reliance in research, design and manufacturing in the various fields including information and communication assurance for e-Governance, early warning systems for disaster management, electronic measures for security of national assets, electronic exploration of natural resources at land and sea, designing and fabrication of integrated circuits and systems on chip, and communication, displays, automation and medical systems. It is expected that the project would be completed by June 2022.
Likewise, ECNEC also approved the National Programme for enhancing the command area in barani areas of Pakistan at a total cost of Rs25.345 billion.
The project scope includes construction of 2,664 farm ponds for storing rainwater from various sources and installation of solar pumping systems on farm ponds for operation of high efficiency of irrigation systems, development of 4,156 dug wells to promote irrigated agriculture, development and improvement of 2,432 watercourses carrying water from various sources for enhancing water conveyance efficiency at farm level and building other beneficial infrastructures and provision of useful equipment for farm land development, and dualisation and improvement of Mandra-Chakwal Road project (2nd revised) in districts of Rawalpindi and Chakwal at total cost of Rs11.9 billion.
