ISLAMABAD, Feb 12 (APP):Central Development Working Party (CDWP) Monday approved 24 projects worth Rs 184.8 billion, out of which 10 projects worth Rs 169.6 billion were referred to Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).
The meeting, chaired by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz, in addition to the projects also approved ‘one position paper’ with a cost of Rs 709 million, said a press release here.
Among others, the meeting was attended by senior officials from federal and provincial governments as well as autonomous bodies.
The projects presented for approval include energy, transport and communication, water resources, physical planning and housing, science and technology, governance, health and mass media.
In energy sector, the CDWP recommended a project on evacuation of power from Suki Kinari, Kohala and Mahl Hydro Power Project in Northern Areas worth Rs 73.6 billion to the ECNEC.
The main objective of the project is construction of 500kV transmission network to provide interconnection facilities for evacuation of power from the said Hydro Power Plants.
Moreover, a project of feasibility study on developing mechanism for tariff based bidding of hydropower projects, review of feasibility studies for hydropower projects through local and foreign experts and capacity building of PPIB employees was approved with a cost of Rs 64.3 million. The project will help enhance the capacity of PPIB.
The CDWP approved 12 projects in transport and communication sector, out of which six were referred to the ECNEC. The projects include up gradation/ renovation of Bahawalpur, Raiwaind, Gujranwala, Karachi, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Lahore and Rawalpindi railway stations with an estimated cost of Rs 1.46 billion, replacement of old and obsolete signal gear from Lodhran-Multan-Khanewal-Shahdara Bagh Main line Section of Pakistan Railways at a cost of Rs 18.6 billion, improvement and widening of Chitral-Booni-Mastuj-Shandur Road with Rs 19.1 billion, construction/rehabilitation of four bridges (Muzhgole Bridge, Osaik Bridge, Pokel Bridge and repairing of Churan Bridge) with approach road and allied components at a cost of Rs. 544.6 million, construction of Ziarat Mor-Kach-Harnai Road and construction of Harnai Sanjavi Road at Rs 10.8 billion, construction of six lane overhead bridge at Imamia colony railway crossing Shahdara at Rs. 2.1 billion, purchase of road clearance/earth moving machinery for prompt emergency response in AJK at Rs 500 million, extension/up gradation of Bannu Airport for A-320/B-737 Aircraft Operations at Rs 715 Million), Improvement of Security at Karachi Int’l Airport, Multan Airport and Islamabad Airport at Rs. 2.2 billion, land acquisition for Rwp-Kahuta Road at Rs. 5.3 billion, Dualization of Rwp-Kahuta road at Rs 10.1 billion).
Lastly, construction of northern by pass of Dera Ghazi Khan was recommended to the ECNEC at Rs. 5.6 billion.
In physical planning and housing sector, the construction of Model Custom House at Gwadar was approved with a cost of 1.5 billion.
In water sector, the CDWP approved feasibility study, detailed engineering design and preparation of tender documents of Murunj Dam project was approved with a cost of Rs 371.7 million. The Darawat Dam Project was also recommended to the ECNEC, which would be completed with a cost of Rs 11.8 Billion.
In Science and Technology section, the CDWP approved two projects including one position paper with the total cost of Rs 3.3 billion. The position paper tends on subsidy to scholars aboard under culture exchange program with a cost of Rs 709 million. The project for Development of National University of Medical Sciences, Islamabad was also approved with a cost of Rs 2.6 Billion.
In governance, the CDWP recommended the Federal Programme under Access to Justice Program worth Rs 6.4 billion to the ECNEC.
In health sector, the CDWP approved three projects out of which one was referred to the ECNEC. The projects include establishment of a current cGMP complaint sera processing laboratory for capacity enhancement, biological production division, NIH Islamabad worth Rs 751.1 million. A project titled establishment of centre for Neuro Sciences at PIMS, Islamabad was referred to the ECNEC worth Rs 7.4 billion. In addition, civil works for cancer hospital Islamabad was approved at a cost of Rs 1.99 billion.
The CDWP also approved two projects in mass media sector which included installation of 100KW Medium Wave Digital Transmitter at Mirpur for countering Cross-border Propaganda at a cost of Rs 143.8 million and rehabilitation of medium wave services for Muzaffarabad (AJK) with a cost of Rs 160.6 million.
