The meeting of Central Development Working Party (CDWP) presided over by Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reform Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar has cleared a total of four development projects costing about Rs210 billion. Under the current financial powers, the CDWP can approve projects costing no more than Rs3bn while the projects of higher estimated costs are approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) once the CDWP clears them on technical grounds.
The meeting formally approved a Rs552.71 million hydropower development programme for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and referred 3 more projects to the ECNEC for formal approval after clearing them on technical grounds.
The first energy project ‘500kV High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Transmission System between Tajikistan and Pakistan for Central Asia-South Asia Transmission Interconnection (CASA-1000)’ worth Rs45.989bn was presented by the Power Division.
As part of that project transmission of up to 1,300MW of electricity will be transmitted from Tajikistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan in summer months. The surplus available capacity in Pakistan during the winters will be exported to Tajikistan when the hydel power there is incapacitated due to frozen water.
The second project ‘Preparation of Advance Facility for proposed World Bank-assisted KP Hydropower Development Project (PC-II)’ worth Rs552.708m, was also approved by CDWP.
The meeting also approved Balakot Hydropower Project worth Rs85.913bn and recommended it to ECNEC for formal approval. The project aims at construction of 310MW Balakot hydropower project on Kunhar river, a major tributary of Jhelum river.
Two transport projects proposed by Sindh government were also approved namely Bus Rapid Transport Red Line (BRT) Project worth Rs77.598bn, which includes construction of metro bus dedicated 29.1km corridors from Numaish to Malir Halt depot and common corridor of 2.4km, and ‘Karachi Urban Mobility Project (Yellow Line Bus Rapid Transit)’ worth Rs65.968bn The meeting also technically cleared the project and referred to ECNEC for consideration. The meeting also gave concept clearance of a proposal of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) project ‘Domestic Resource Mobilisation’ worth $400m.
Menu
