ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Monday approved 15 projects worth Rs99.2 billion of education, transport & communication, water & power, health & physical planning and housing sectors.
The CDWP, which met with Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal in the chair, also recommended five projects in energy, transport, communication, physical planning and housing to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval.
The meeting was attended by Planning Commission’s Secretary Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and senior officers of the ministries concerned and provincial governments. In the energy sector, the CDWP recommended a project worth Rs8.4 billion to the Ecnec. The project envisaging a new 200KV single circuit (SDT) twin bundle rail conductor transmission line, proposed to be constructed from Guddu to Sibbi via Shikarpur and Uch power plants. It will serve as a substitute to the existing PC pole transmission line which has deteriorated due to completion of its useful life.
The CDWP also approved two health sector projects worth Rs4.7 billion to build Gilgit Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy (GINOR) at the cost of Rs2.3 billion and Gujranwala Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy (GINUM) costing Rs2.39 billion. The projects will help provide preventive as well as curative care to cancer patients of the areas.
Two projects of physical planning and housing sector were also approved in the meeting, including Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan worth Rs36.117 billion sponsored by the Sindh government and Water Distribution Network for Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonments worth Rs880.50 million. The minister directed that the projects should be completed by December this year.
The CDWP approved four projects of transport & communication sector worth Rs43.8 billion, which also include rehabilitation/upgradation and widening of Quetta-Dadher Section of N-65 worth Rs7.3 billion. The project will help increase inter-provincial access in Sindh and linking its some major cities with the rest of the country, and thus play a key role in its economic development.
The CDWP also approved construction, rehabilitation, improvement and widening of 47.93 km Kalash Valley Road at a cost of Rs4.7 billion. The project, which has been taken up as per announcement of the prime minister during his visit to Chitral, will help promote tourism. The CDWP also accorded approval to procurement and manufacturing of 830 high capacity bogie freight wagons and 250 passenger coaches worth Rs31.1 billion. These passenger coaches fitted with modern bogies will be able to run at the design speed of 160 km per hour.
Three projects falling under the governance section worth Rs1.65 billion were approved. These include Sustainable Development Goals Unit in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at a cost of Rs600 million and Institutional Strengthening & Efficiency Enhancement of Planning Commission with a cost of Rs350 million. The latter project will assist in enhancing the capacity and performance of regular staff through incentive schemes by selecting the best official and to accommodate increased level of manpower hired under CPEC and Vision 2025.
The third approved project of monitoring of PSDP financed project at the cost of Rs700 million aims to improve and expand the existing monitoring system in the projects wing and to undertake external monitoring of development projects to ensure that the investments made in the public sector are being put to effective use as planned.
The CDWP deferred National Pesticide Residues Monitoring System in Pakistan worth Rs739 million. The central idea is to establish a comprehensive pesticide residue monitoring system at national and provincial levels so as to provide safe food to the people and meeting international standards as per ISO 17025 for the country’s exports target in consultation with provinces and other stakeholders.
It also approved Rs2.9 billion Science Talent Farming Scheme for Undergraduate Programme in the education sector. The project aims to groom and capacity building of young students in natural sciences and mathematics. It main theme is that the scholars, who have aptitude towards science and are outstanding in their studies, could be productive scientists for future by developing critical things instead of rote learning. The minister instructed officials of the Higher Education Commission to ensure consolidation of resources.