ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party has approved eight development projects with a total cost of Rs. 25.191 billion.
One additional project worth Rs. 10.671 billion has been recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for approval. The meeting was chaired by the Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal.
It was attended by senior officials from the Planning Commission, federal secretaries, and representatives of provincial governments.
The meeting included projects in food and agriculture, higher education, information technology, power, and transport. A project titled “Speed Breeding Platform for Development of Climate Smart Hybrid Crops” was approved at a cost of Rs. 990 million.
The minister instructed that stakeholders, including the private sector, should be involved in seed development work at NIAB.
A project in the higher education sector called “Dr. A.Q. Khan Institute of Materials and Emerging Sciences” was approved at Rs. 3538.364 million. It will be located at Quaid-i-Azam University.
The University of Cambridge has agreed to provide technical support. Another project in the information technology sector, “Digitalization of In-House Processes and Automation of Examination System of the Federal Public Service Commission,” was approved with a cost of Rs. 3047.772 million.
The project aims to improve the recruitment process and governance through digital systems.
The minister said this project is aligned with the government’s e-governance plan and the URAAN Pakistan Program. He added that the project will help modernize the FPSC’s system and improve efficiency.
In the science and technology sector, a project titled “NILOP-PIEAS Emerging Technologies Center” was approved with a cost of Rs. 3385 million. The minister said that building technical capability is important to deal with changes in the industrial sector.
A hydropower project, “16 MW Hydropower Project Nalter-III Gilgit,” was recommended to ECNEC at a revised cost of Rs. 10671.357 million. The project includes construction of a canal, sedimentation basin, headrace, forebay, penstock, powerhouse, and a 66 kV transmission line.
The minister instructed that the project should be completed before winter to help meet the energy needs of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Four projects in the transport and communications sector were approved. These are: widening and carpeting of Booni Buzund Torkhow Road (28 km) in Upper Chitral, costing Rs. 1894.148 million; construction of Northern Bypass Road in Loralai (15.50 km) at Rs. 3828.165 million; extension of Margalla Highway from GT Road to Motorway (2.5 km) at Rs. 7106.374 million; and a feasibility study for Trans Afghan Rail connectivity from Kharlachi to Mazar-e-Sharif via Logar (677 km) costing Rs. 1401.400 million. The rail project is part of the URAAN Pakistan regional connectivity plan.
The forum also reviewed a concept paper from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. The paper is titled “Action to Strengthen Performance for Inclusive and Responsive Education” and is funded by the World Bank.
The minister said that Islamabad’s education system should be developed as a model for other provinces.
