ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Monday cleared 10 development projects worth Rs87.17 billion during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal.
The forum cleared the reconstruction of Turbat-Mand road from M-8 till Iranian Border-Radeeq at the cost of Rs20,992.875 million, construction of Pun Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran road in district Awaran at the cost of Rs29,638.353 million, reconstruction of Mangopir at the cost of Rs3190.432 million, completion of Niheng Bridge at Rodbun in district Kech at the cost of Rs673.688 million, 26MW Shagharthang Hydropower Project at the cost of Rs17,972.902 million, Strengthening Institution for Refugee’s Administration (SIRA) at the cost of Rs2,043.000 million, establishment of a cancer hospital in ICT at the cost of Rs3,406.169 million, Gwadar Safe City project (Phase-1) at the cost of Rs4,966.905 million, development of Ziarat town at the cost of Rs5,558.545 million and establishment of National Forensic Science Laboratory at the cost of Rs1978.422 million.
The forum recommended the reconstruction of Turbat-Mand road from M-8 till Iranian Border-Radeeq at the cost of Rs20,992.875 million to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec). The revised project envisages completion of 410-meter long and 8.2-meter wide two lane Niheng Bridge at Rodbun in district Kech, Balochistan. The starting point of the project shoots from the existing Nihang Bridge, the south side embankment of which has been washed away due to floods.
The forum also recommended the construction of Pun Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran road in district Awaran at the cost of Rs29,638.353 million to the Ecnec. The revised project envisages construction of 228-kilometer long and 7.3-meter wide (3.65-meter wide each) asphaltic carriageway that starts from Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran in district Panjgur and Awaran, in the southern Balochistan region. The project road will connect Gichak with Panjgur as well as with Karachi via Bela-Hoshab road. Similarly, the reconstruction of Mangopir at the cost of Rs3190.432 million was also cleared by the forum.
The CDWP also approved a project Strengthening Institutions for Refugee’s Administration (SIRA) at the cost of Rs2,043.000 million. The Ministry of States and Frontier Regions is mandated to deal with the issues related to Afghan refugees. The Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CCAR), being an attached department of the Ministry of Safron, is the operational arm to manage Afghan refugees.
The CCAR and its provincial Afghan Commissionerate’s offices are responsible for advising/ providing inputs on policy matters and implementing the policies of the Ministry of Safron on the Afghan refugees’ issues. It is estimated that nearly three million Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan i.e. 1.436 million Afghans with the proof of registration cards (POR) for their identity in addition to approximately 840,000 Afghan citizen card holders and an estimated 700,000 undocumented Afghans living in Pakistan.
The Ministry of Safron with the technical assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has registered these Afghan refugees, while the government of Pakistan has allowed the UNHCR to conduct refugee status determination (RSD). The individuals recognised as refugees at the outcome of the UNHCR’s RSD process and members of their family are issued with the UNHCR’s refugee identity cards, known as the proof of registration (POR) cards.
The forum also recommenced 26MW Shagharthang Hydropower Project in Skardu at the cost of Rs17,972.902 million to the Ecnec. The Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan is the sponsoring agency of the project. The main objective of the project is to exploit the potential of hydropower available in the middle stretch of Kachura Lungma to generate 26MW output, which will augment power to the existing electricity network of the area to resolve power shortage to the consumers of load centres in Skardu valley.
The CDWP also approved the establishment of a cancer hospital in the ICT (revised) at the cost of Rs3,406.169 million. The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination is the sponsoring agency of the project. This project envisages the establishment of a 200-bedded state-of-the-art hospital for indoor admission of various types of cancer patients.
Similarly, the forum approved the Gwadar Safe City project (Phase-1) at the cost of Rs4,966.905 million, of which the Balochistan government is the sponsoring agency. This project envisages to provide a safer city for the residents of Gwadar, particularly at the identified strategic locations and also help the law enforcement agencies in detecting crime and investigating crime by collecting evidence.
Gwadar is relatively an unsafe city, with many Western governments advising their citizens against travelling to the city. The current infrastructure is insufficient to cater to the security needs of Gwadar city. Gwadar Safe City has been developed precisely to help all the government stakeholders, including the city administration, Gwadar police and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to mitigate the security and communication challenges.
In addition, the establishment of National Forensic Science Laboratory at the cost of Rs1978.422 million was also approved by the forum. The Ministry of Interior is the sponsoring agency of the project, while the laboratory will be established in the ICT.