CDWP approves 7 projects worth Rs559.76bn

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved seven development projects worth of Rs559.766 billion. Out of the project, three worth Rs8.23 billion have been approved by the CDWP, while the forum recommended four projects of Rs551.536 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for its consideration.

The CDWP meeting was chaired by Minister PDSI & Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal and attended by the planning secretary, additional secretary, members as well as respective federal secretaries and representatives from federal ministries and provincial governments.

The agenda included discussion on projects of health, manpower, physical planning & housing, transport & communication and science & technology.

Three projects related to health sector presented in the meeting. The first project “Improvement of Maternal and Child Health Equipment in Flood-affected and Surrounding Areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” worth Rs3.147 billion was approved by the forum.

The second project “Prime Minister’s Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C Infection” worth Rs67.77 billion was recommended to Ecnec for further consideration. The project is designed with a 51 percent federal share and a 49 percent provincial share, aiming to screen, test, and treat 50 percent of the eligible population (82.5 million individuals aged 12 and above) for Hepatitis C.

The third project “Prime Minister’s Programme for Prevention and Control of Diabetes Mellitus” worth Rs6.8 billion was also recommended to Ecnec for further consideration. The project envisages prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes through awareness, advocacy & communication, diagnosis at PHC facilities and referral for treatment at THQ/ DHQ facilities.

A project related to manpower sector “Balochistan Youth Internship Programme- Under Post-flood 2022 Reconstruction Programme; Resilience Enhancement and Livelihood Diversification in Balochistan” worth Rs1.82 billion was approved by the forum. A project related to science & technology “Establishment of Institute of Petroleum Technology (Revised)” worth Rs3.271 billion was approved by the forum. A project related to physical planning & housing sector “Flood Response Emergency Housing Project Phase-I (2nd Revision)” worth Rs447 billion was recommended to Ecnec for further consideration. The project is proposed to be financed through foreign funding of World Bank. The project aims to support the flood-affected people of Sindh province to reconstruct their houses in selected communities affected by the 2022 floods in all districts of Sindh province, besides provision of wash facilities/ communal toilets and reconstruction of supportive infrastructure including water supply schemes, sanitation, drainage, roads, street pavements and protection works.

A project related to Transport & Communication presented in the meeting namely “CAREC Corridor Development Investment Programme Tranche-I Project, Petaro-Sehwan Road Section 130.37 km, Ratodero-Shikharpur Road Section 44.40 km, Rehabilitation of Darra Adam Khel-Peshawar Road Section 34.35 km (Total 209.12 Km) (Revised)” worth Rs29.966 billion was also referred to Ecnec for further consideration.