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Thursday March 28, 2024

Govt okays second revision of polio eradication plan

By Mehtab Haider
January 04, 2019

ISLAMABAD: The PTI led government on Thursday approved second revision of emergency plan for polio eradication with estimated cost of $986.3 million by end of the ongoing year 2019. However, two more years required for follow up and complete eradication of its core reservoirs.

Planning and Development Minister Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar presided a meeting of Central Development Working Party (CDWP) here on Thursday in which the CDWP considered two revised projects, including Nai Gaj Dam Project and Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication. The forum also considered two position papers relating to Transport & Communication and Housing & Work Division.

The CDWP recommended 2nd revision of the Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication worth $986.3 million. The forum was informed that polio will be eradicated from Pakistan by the end of 2019; however, two years would be required for follow up and complete eradication of its core reservoirs. Two organisations of the United Nation, including UNICEF and WHO, are operating with delivery of polio vaccination, supplementing immunisation and interruption of wild polio virus in the country.

Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar observed that polio eradication is a national priority and it needs a holistic action plan to ensure zero polio cases in Pakistan as per national and global commitments.

The Planning Commission’s deputy chairman instructed sponsor agency to devise monitoring mechanism for smooth implementation, obtain provincial government’s commitment for reimbursement of loans and run a robust campaign jointly with the provinces to eradicate the core reservoirs where sewerage water is contaminated with poliovirus. He instructed to provide breakup of social mobilisation and communication expenditure for the next three years, giving one week time to respond to the observations. The project was provisionally recommended to Ecnec for approval.

The Nai Gaj Dam Project 2nd revision worth Rs47,732.5 million was also placed before the CDWP. Minister Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar observed that since the project of Nai Gaj Dam would overcome water shortages, irrigating an area of 28,000 Acrs in the Sindh Province, hence need to be dealt jointly by the federal as well as the Sindh Government. Considering importance of the project, its completion should be expedited without any further delay, remarked PD&R minister.

He instructed that the Ministry of Water Resources should resolve designs issues and other observations. The secretary water resources, on the occasion, sought a time of two weeks to resolve the issues. However, the Planning minister desired that the ministry should come up with a response in a week time.

The CDWP returned two projects of the Transport & Communication Sector and one project of Housing & Works due to non-compliance of earlier decisions. The projects include Construction of Road over Mali Bund Road from Dumlottee Wells up to link road adjacent to education city, Malir and Construction of RCC pre-stressed Bridge at Lassan Thakral Logran Breela Daigi-Da-Pattan, Mansehra.

The CDWP also accorded time extension to three projects without any cost or scope revision, including New Minerals Survey Scheme, Phase-VI worth Rs1,085.3 million, Nutrition Programme for Sindh with estimated cost of Rs4,117.9 and E-Office Replication at all divisions of the Federal Government projects at Islamabad worth Rs440.3 million.