New infrastructure and water projects were approved recently during the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) which was chaired by the federal minister for finance and revenue, Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar. The total cost of these projects is said to be approximately 280 billion rupees.
The projects include the Umbrella PC-I of the flood protection sector project III at a cost of 10,862.95 million rupees. This project will be executed in all four provinces including Gilgit Baltistan. The main purpose of this project is a countrywide flood management system with the help of structural and non- structural interventions.
Another project titled “Makhi Farash Link Canal Peoject (Choriari Phase II)” is also approved which will function for the provision of water supply to Thar Coal Districts Sanghar and Umerkot. This project was approved at a cost of Rs 12,087 million.
Other projects that were approved during the meeting include (i) Kacchi Canal Project for the restoration of Flood Damages, at a cost of 8,280 million rupees and is to be executed in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh. (ii) New Balakot City Development Project to be carried out in the KPK division (iii) National Multi- sectoral Nutrition Program to Reduce Stunting and other forms of Malnutrition. The project is to be financed by federal government and through foreign aid under IsDB Country Engagement Framework for Pakistan 2023-25. (iv) Construction of 36km Sindh coastal highway at a cost of 16,204 million rupees, (v) Construction of Lahore-Sialkot Motorway (LSM) link Highway (04-Lane) Connecting LSM to Narang Mandi and Narowal at a cost of Rs 36,814 million which is to be executed in the districts of Narowal and Sheikhupura and (vi) improvement of Road from Sanghar to National Highway (N-5), at Point Rohri via Mundh Jamrao and Salehput. The cost of this project was updated and put to 12,521 million rupees involving the federal government and the government of Sindh.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, SAPM on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Senator Nisar Khuhro, federal secretaries and other senior officers from federal ministries and provincial departments were a part of the meeting.
