Security cost for CPEC goes up by 20-30pc

ISLAMABAD
The estimated cost for raising additional wings of Civil Armed Forces (CAFs) for special security division to ensure foolproof security for Chinese workforce under the $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has gone up by around 20 to 30 percent because of escalated land cost for construction of barracks and other infrastructure requirements.
“The Planning Commission’s Central Development Working Party (CDWP) had already approved the project for raising five additional wings of CAF out of total six wings but the cost of this project will go up by 20 to 30 percent because of escalated land cost,” official sources told The News here on Wednesday.
At a time when Pakistan and China are going to kick-start review meeting of Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) under the CPEC in Karachi today (Thursday), it would be encouraging sign for Beijing that the security apparatus for CPEC projects would become operational very soon.
The government had inserted two projects into PSDP for 2015-16 for raising 22 additional wings of CAF with estimated cost of Rs7.546 billion and through another project raising six additional wings of CAF with the cost of Rs2.350 billion so the total cost of projects stood in the range of Rs10 billion.
Earlier, the Punjab government had indicated to provide state land for construction of barracks for personnel of CAFs but now it was conveyed that the federal government would have to purchase land so the cost of project would go up from Rs10 billion to Rs13 billion.
For security arrangements, the two projects will only place infrastructure while their salaries will be taken care of from current expenditure under the Ministry of Interior.
The 5th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) under the CPEC between Pakistan and China will meet in Karachi to review implementation on early harvest programme (EHP), scheduled to be completed in first phase till December 2017.
There are five major agenda items and one of them is ensuring security of CPEC projects for which the Pakistan Army has taken responsibility by placing one Major General as head of the special force to ensure foolproof security.
Partially, the security force is in place but for whole Pakistan starting from Gwadar to Karakoram Highway (KKH), it will become operational within next couple of months.
Islamabad will also request Beijing for inclusion of Dera Ismail Khan to Sohrab road as dual carriage under CPEC during this JCC meeting which will help government resolving controversy over construction of western route in accordance with the desire of certain political forces belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Both sides had also signed Master Plan for Gwadar port and ground breaking ceremony for construction of state-of-the-art school in the area. Both sides also signed framework agreement on water supply project at Gwadar and inclusion of solid waste disposal and sanitation project at Gwadar.
Pakistan and China will also evolve consensus inclusion of LNG terminal/transmission line project in Gwadar priority category, Gwadar coal power project, social sector projects (vocational and hospital grant status update), making Gwadar port operational and its update plan and Master Plan for Free Zone.
On energy side, the coming JCC will deliberate on Sahiwal power project, Port Qasim power project, Engro Thar Coal project, Hubco power project, SK Hydro project, transmission lines (if possible), adjustment of projects in the priority category and new projects if both sides evolve consensus on any initiative.
For transport sector, the coming JCC will deliberate upon Thakpt-Havelian road, Multan-Sukkur motorway section, Gwadar Eastbay Expressway, New Gwadar International Airport, finalisation of Monographic Study on Transport Planning, consensus on CPEC long term plan, minutes of Transport Infrastructure JWG meeting - 13 Aug 2015 and new projects including Basima-Gwadar and dualisation of road from DI Khan to Surab. Both sides will discuss long term plan under CPEC in details during this JCC meeting.