Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved as many as 31 development projects at the cost of Rs360 billion, including 12 mega projects at an estimated cost of Rs342 billion, which have been referred to Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) for their final approval.
Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz chaired the meeting . Officials from different ministries and provincial governments also attended the meeting.
The CDWP approved the projects of various sectors including transport & communications, energy, water resources, information technology, physical planning & housing, environment and health.
In energy sector, the CDWP has approved three projects at cost of Rs3.714 billion. In addition to that, three energy projects worth Rs41.387 billion were referred to ECNEC for further approval. The projects approved in energy sector are construction of 132KV grid station at Splinji and Allied 132KV SDT Darwaza–Splinji Transmission Line (65 km), 220KV Jamrud substation along with associated 220KV transmission line and establishment of new 132KV grid station Puran, Tehsil Mastung.
The CDWP meeting considered two projects of water resources with the total proposed cost of Rs16 billion. Both of these projects were referred to ECNEC. The water resources project approved are construction of 200 dams / check dams in Killa Abdullah, Gulistan and Dobandai tehsils, District Killa Abdullah, and construction of Garuk Storage Dam, district Kharan, Balochistan. Both of these projects were sent to ECNEC for further evaluation.
The CDWP also recommended two projects of transport and communications with the total proposed cost of Rs193 billion. Both of these projects were referred to ECNEC for further approval. The projects approved in transport and communications sector are design, tendering assistance and construction of Malakand Tunnel project valuing Rs177.9 billion, and procurement / construction of 06 x maritime patrol vessels (4 x 600 tons and 2 x 1500 tons MPVs) for Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) at a cost of Rs15.948 billion.
A total of nine development projects of physical planning and housing were proposed in CDWP out of which seven were approved and one was referred to ECNEC. The total proposed cost of these projects is Rs28 billion. The approved projects in physical planning and housing are construction of SSP Office, Lines HQ & Beat for National Highways and Motorway Police at Gwadar, Balochistan, construction of accommodation for 4 x wing at Gorgana, Painda Cheena, Dogra, Shilman, Khyber Agency, construction of model prison at H-16, Islamabad, land acquisition and site development of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics for construction of new campus, improvement and uplift of Gulshan-e-Jinnah, F-5/2, Islamabad, construction of Federal Lodge # II, Shami Road, Peshawar, and construction of accommodation, training and administrative blocks and barracks at Gilgit, Hunza, Diamer and Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan for the establishment of special protection unit (SPU) for Gilgit-Baltistan Police.
The CDWP also considered four science and technology projects out of which three were approved. The cost of these projects is Rs2.35 billion. The projects approved are development of Sindh Madrasatul Islam (SMIU) campus at Education City Malir, Karachi (Phase-I), upgrade of silicon strip tracker and muon system for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment, research and development and up-gradation and strengthening of R&D labs of National Centre for Physics. In heath sector, one project with total cost of Rs33 billion was referred to ECNEC for further approval. The project approved is Prime Minister’s National Health Program (Phase-II).
The CDWP considered five projects of industries and commerce out of which three were approved and one project was referred to ECNEC. The projects approved are Fruits, Vegetables and Condiments Processing Centre Naushehro Feroze, National Business Development Program for SMEs and Product Development Center (PDC) for composites based sports goods.
The CDWP also approved a governance sector project with the total cost of Rs732 million. The project approved is CPEC Support Project by Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform.
In environment sector, the CDWP approved one project with a cost of Rs193.6 million. The approved project is Generation of Global Environment Benefits from improved decision making systems.
