Rs40bn allocated for 12 projects
Under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that would be completed by 2018, the federal government has allocated Rs40 billion for 12 western route projects.
The government has allocated Rs12 billion for construction of Burhan-Hakla on M-I to Dera Ismail Khan Motorway (CPEC) and Rs5 billion for Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab Section (200 kilometre) of Gwadar-Ratodero Road (892 km) M-8 including Khuzdar-Shahadadkot-Ratodero (143km) – (Gwadar, Turbat, Khuzdar in Balochistan and Kamber Shahdadkot and Larkana in Sindh),according to the official documents.
The government has allocated Rs4 billion for widening and improvement of N-85, Hoshab-Nag-Basima-Surab Road (459km) (Khuzdar, Panjgur), Rs3.3 billion for Zhob Mughal Kot 81 kilometre N-50 (NHDSIP and ADB), Rs1.1 billion for rehabilitation of DI Khan Mughal Kot 50 kilometre section N-50 (FERP Phase-II), Rs1.8 billion for land acquisition, affected properties for construction of Burhan-Hakla to D.I Khan motorway.
Another Rs1.3 billion has been allocated for the construction of Basima-Khuzdar (110km) N-30, Rs150 million for Kalat-Quetta-Chaman section of N-25 (247km), Rs100 million for dualization of Khuzdar-Chaman-section of N-25 (408km) including rehabilitation of existing Khuzdar-Kalat section, Rs850 million for dualisation of Yarik-Mughalkot-Zhob section of N-50 (245km) CPEC western alignment including Zhob by-bass and land acquisition, Rs450 million for up-gradation/dualisation of motorway link from Kohat via Jhand, and Rs50 million for feasibility study of Zhob to Kuchlak road.
The federal government has promised only to expand Indus Highway from two lanes to six lanes under the CPEC in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the work on it has yet to be started.
Major General Dr Zahir Shah (retd), the CPEC coordinator in the Ministry of Planning, said the federal government has been pursuing three-dimensional development projects on western route of CPEC for development of less-developed areas of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
The development projects are being funded through public sector development programmes and international financial institutions like Asian Development Bank other than funding exclusive for CPEC projects, he said.
He, however, said the work on the western route is underway, though traffic and population on it are sparse as compared to the eastern route.
