Ahsan Iqbal, minister for Planning, Development and special Initiatives stated during a Press conference that the government has approved a total of 900 billion rupees for power plants of the Diamer Bhasha Dam project. He also said that the project has been referred to the ECNEC for further approval.
He highlighted the fact that this project would help in the irrigation of 276,000 acres of land of the southern KPK. It has already been decided that the federal government will be responsible for 65 percent pf the total cost of this project. The federal government is looking forward to the completion of this project as soon as possible to instigate a revolution in the sector of agriculture. The project had been under delay in the past but the current government has made it a top priority and is working to make the dam fully functioning as soon as possible, which is why the project has been included in federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
He also said that the Prime Minister has approved the Chaman Quetta Karachi N-25 project and has taken another step for the betterment of economical and social conditions of the residents of Balochistan. The issue of shortage of electricity near Makran region is also being dealt with as the PM has has finalized an agreement with the Iranian ambassador to provide 100 MW of energy to the sector.
The civil aviation authority CAA has also been ordered to complete the Gawadar airport by March 2023. He also said that the ML-1 railway project will also be initiated under CPEC. He said that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had also been given the task to complete the construction of the New Gwadar International Airport by March 2023. He said that the water desalination plant in Gwadar would also be completed by October this year.
