The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Friday approved 10 development projects with a total cost of Rs115.458 billion.
Eight projects worth Rs17.297 billion were approved by the CDWP forum, while it recommended two projects worth Rs98.161 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for its consideration, as per a news release issued after a meeting chaired by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan.
The approved projects were related to Agriculture and Food, Energy, Governance, Health, Higher Education, Physical Planning and Housing, Science and Technology, Transport and Communication, Water Resources, Education, Energy Governance, and Industries & Commerce sectors.
A project, related to the Agriculture and Food sector presented in the meeting namely “Sindh Livestock and Aquaculture Development Project (World Bank Assisted)” worth Rs38,360 million, was recommended to ECNEC for approval.
The project aims to enhance the competitiveness, inclusivity, climate resilience, and sustainability of the livestock and aquaculture sectors in Sindh.
One of its main objectives is to promote the adoption of Best Management Practices (BMPs) through institutional strengthening in these sectors.
The forum referred another project, related to the Energy sector presented in the meeting namely “765/500/220/132kV Islamabad West Substation(Revised)” worth Rs 59, 801 million, to ECNEC for further consideration.
The project was proposed to be funded by the World Bank as part of the National Transmission & Modernization Project Phase-I, along with NTDC’s own equity.
The project aims to establish a 765/500/220/132 kV Substation in Islamabad West, accompanied by relevant transmission lines, to meet the increasing power demands in the areas under the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO).
Additionally, the grid station will facilitate power distribution from various sources including Suki Kinari, Tarbela 5th extension, and Dasu hydroelectric power projects to the National Grid.
Two projects related to the Governance sector approved in the meeting, namely ” Modernization and upgradation of Pakistan Mint Phase-II (Revised)” worth Rs2479.212 million, were approved by the forum.
The sponsoring and implementation agency of the project will be the Finance Division.
Another project of the governance sector was approved namely “Project Management, Technical Assistance, and Institutional Strengthening through Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU) Post-Flood 2022 Reconstruction Program: Resilience Enhancement and Livelihood Diversification in Balochistan – Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project (IFRAP)” worth Rs2380 million by the CDWP forum.
The sponsoring and implementation agency is the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives. The proposed project will be financed through the World Bank’s loan amounting to $8.5 million.
During the meeting, five projects related to the Physical Planning and Housing sector were discussed in detail. Notably, the “Smart Environmental Sanitation System and Landfill Project – Gwadar (Revised)” worth Rs. 3277.160 million was approved by the forum.
The Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) will be executing agency as well as implementing it in collaboration with the Chinese Government, operating under the auspices of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The second project in the same sector of physical planning & housing namely “Project Management Unit for construction of Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) at Babu Sabu, Lahore (Revised)” with a cost of Rs. 78.492 million was approved by the forum.
Following it, the project “Capacity Building Project for Performance Improvement of the Lahore & Faisalabad Water & Sanitation Agencies, Punjab,” worth Rs4238.850 million, was presented and approved.
Additionally, the fourth project, addressing post-flood 2022 reconstruction in Balochistan, focused on “Resilience Enhancement and Livelihood Diversification in Balochistan (Public Health Engineering /Water Supply Infrastructure Sector)” with a cost of Rs2800 million was accorded approval in the meeting.
The fifth project, “Construction of Audit House, Lahore,” worth Rs1528.931 million, also got approval by the forum following thorough deliberation.
A project related to the Science & Technology sector presented in the meeting namely “Establishment of Regional Nuclear Safety Inspectorate at Lahore (Revised)” worth Rs515 million was okayed by the CDWP after a detailed discussion.
