The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, approved 15 development projects worth Rs 422.704 billion during its meeting on Sunday.
Out of these, six projects worth Rs 17.95 billion were approved outright, while nine projects totaling Rs 404.754 billion were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further review, according to the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives.
Projects discussed during the meeting spanned health, agriculture, governance, transport, water resources, and science and technology. Federal and provincial representatives, including Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra and Members of the Planning Commission attended the session.
The “Construction of Khawazakhela-Besham Expressway,” valued at Rs 137.711 billion, was referred to ECNEC. The project involves building a 48 km expressway with bridges, tunnels, and drainage systems to improve connectivity.
The project “Procurement/Manufacture of 820 High-Capacity Bogie Wagons and 230 Passenger Coaches (Revised),” worth Rs 70.967 billion, was referred to ECNEC. It aims to upgrade Pakistan Railways’ rolling stock to improve freight and passenger services.
A Sindh Government project, “Sindh Early Learning Enhancement through Classroom Transformation (Revised),” valued at Rs 46.570 billion, was referred to ECNEC for further review. The project is proposed to be financed from Annual Development Plan, Gov. of Sindh.
The “Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP)” worth Rs 45.792 billion was also referred to ECNEC. It focuses on climate-smart agriculture, inclusive employment for disadvantaged groups, and poverty reduction in Sindh’s coastal districts, including Badin, Sujawal, and Thatta.
The “Construction of Rawalpindi Ring Road,” revised at Rs 32.997 billion, was referred to ECNEC. It involves constructing a 38.3 km main carriageway with interchanges, bridges, and toll plazas.
The “Economic Transformation Initiative, Gilgit-Baltistan Planning and Development Department (Revised)” worth Rs 26.763 billion was referred to ECNEC. Financed through foreign funding, it aims to develop 50,000 acres of irrigated land, build 400 km of farm-to-market roads, and improve the agriculture value chain for 100,000 rural households in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The “Construction of Mangi Dam and Water Conveyance System (Revised),” worth Rs 18.994 billion, was referred to ECNEC. Financed through a 50:50 split between Federal PSDP and Provincial ADP, the project involves building a 61m high dam with a reservoir capacity of 36.43 MCM.
The “Rehabilitation of Multan-Vehari Road,” worth Rs 12.886 billion, was referred to ECNEC. It aims to rehabilitate 93.5 km of road to improve connectivity in Punjab.
The “Extension of Klm Start Point to Saggian Road and Main Ravi Bridge (Revised)” project, worth Rs 12.069 billion, was referred to ECNEC. It involves upgrades to interchanges, culverts, and toll plazas.
The “Social Sector Accelerator (SSA) for Health, Nutrition, Education, Youth & Gender (HNEYG) – Prime Minister’s Youth Internship Programme (Revised),” worth Rs 7.499 billion, was approved. The program offers 30,000 paid internships to fresh graduates, with stipends of Rs 25,000 or Rs 40,000 per month for six months.
The CDWP approved the “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Mobilization and Public Resource Management Program (Technical Assistance) (Revised),” worth Rs 4.713 billion, which is proposed to be financed through foreign funding.
The meeting approved the “Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Center (PCU part)” project, valued at Rs 3.110 billion. This initiative, aligned with the 5Es Framework, aims to provide specialized healthcare at national and international levels under the Ministry of National Health Services.
The CDWP approved the project “Strengthening of MoPDSI in IT,” valued at Rs 1.334 billion, to enhance the Ministry’s technological capacity.
Two aviation-related projects were approved: “Hiring of Consultant for RNP-AR for all-weather flight operations at Skardu, Gilgit, and Chitral airports,” valued at Rs 832.015 million, and “Consultancy Services for Design and Construction Supervision of New Air Traffic Control Tower and Fire Station at JIAP Karachi,” worth Rs 465.5 million.
The meeting highlighted the importance of timely implementation, with Ahsan Iqbal emphasizing the need for dedicated program management units to oversee projects. This session reflects a commitment to addressing development priorities across sectors.
