ISLAMABAD, Jul 19 (APP): The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday approved the project for the construction of Khawazakhela-Besham Expressway (48Km) at cost of around Rs 79. 131 billion.

ECNEC, which met with Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar in the chair, considered and accorded approval to the summary of Ministry of Communications in that regard, said a Finance Ministry news release.

The 48-kilometer Khawazakhela-Besham Expressway project, which would cost about Rs 79,130.878 million without FEC and financed entirely through the Federal Public Sector Development Programme, would be executed by the National Highway Authority in Shangla and Swat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, PM’s special assistants Tariq Bajwa and Tariq Mehmood Pasha, federal secretaries and other senior officers from federal ministries and provincial departments attended the meeting.

The ECNEC also approved the project “Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme” of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives to be executed by Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Islamabad at a rationalized cost of Rs16,801.230 million, including FEC of Rs 15,166.250 million. The project would be financed by the Federal Government and completed within two years i.e. 2023-2025.

The committee accorded its consent for the project “Modernization of Hydromet Services of PMD in Pakistan (MHSP)” of the Aviation Division at a cost of Rs 14,498.875 million to be executed in the whole country by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). It would be financed by the World Bank as a component of “Post-flood 2022 Reconstruction Programme”.

The “Water Requirement for K-IV Project Improvement of Kalri Baghar Feeder & Keenjhar Lake – Plain Cement Concrete (PCC) Lining of Karli Baghar Feeder Upper-Phase-I Project ” of the Ministry of Water Resources was also approved. It would be executed by by the Sindh Irrigation Department in Jamshoro and Thatta districts with an estimated cost of Rs 39,942.559 million, to be financed at a 50:50 sharing basis by the Federal Government and the Sindh Government.

ECNEC accorded its approval for the project “Lahore Ring Road-Southern Loop (SL-3) Construction of Road from Raiwind Road upto Multan Road” of the Government of Punjab at the total cost of Rs 17,785.850 million without FEC. It would be executed by the provincial C&W Department and entirely financed by the Government of Punjab Annual Development Programme.

The committee also approved a summary of the Ministry of National Food Security & Research regarding the project “Prime Minister’s National Programme for Solarization Agriculture Tube Wells Punjab, Sindh, KPK, and Balochistan” and allowed inclusion of existing pumping systems on small dams, ponds, and river/stream/nullah ponds, serving the same purpose as tube-wells.

Another project of Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training, titled “Pakistan Education Fund”, was approved in principle at a cost of Rs 14,000 million to be executed all over Pakistan by the Higher Education Commission, NEST, and M/o FE&PT. The project would be financed by Federal PSDP 2023-24, to provide scholarships.

The committee also approved another project of Ministry of Communications titled “Lahore-Sahiwal-Bahwalnagar Motorway (295 Kms) Phase –I” at a cost of Rs 263,795.863 million, to be executed in Bahawalpur, Kasur, Lahore, Okara, Pakpattan and Sahiwal districts of Punjab. The project would be be financed by the Federal PSDP.