257 projects to be completed during current fiscal

ISLAMABAD: The government is going to inform the National Economic Council (NEC) on Monday (today) that total 257 development projects including Kachhi Canal, Chashma Nuclear Plant-4, Neelum-Jheleum Hydropower, two 1200MW RLNG plants each at Balloki and Havali Bahadarshah, survey and feasibility studies of six additional nuclear power plants and many more projects with estimated allocations of Rs246.115 billion will be completed during the ongoing fiscal year.

The NEC under chairmanship of PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will be briefed that the government is all set to complete construction of office building for National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Headquarters at G-5/1 Islamabad with estimated cost of Rs1,769 million during the current fiscal year.

The government seems desperate to complete as many projects as possible just ahead of completing five-year tenure of the PML-N-led regime in order to get political dividends at different constituencies in the upcoming general elections. Many projects related to much-trumpeted China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be completed in the ongoing fiscal year.

According to prepared list of 257 development projects which is available with The News but due to scarcity of space only important projects will be highlighted here. The total approved cost of these projects stood at Rs1.534 trillion and expenditure incurred was standing over Rs1.112 trillion up to June 30, 2017. Now the government has allocated Rs246.115 billion in the current fiscal year’s Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for completing these projects within the tenure of the incumbent PML-N-led regime.

The Kachhi Canal project at Dera Bugti, Naseerabad, Bolan and Jhal Magsi in Balochistan with approved cost of Rs80.352 billion was going to be completed during the current fiscal year. The government has allocated Rs10 billion during the current fiscal for completing this project.

The approach road for New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) and land acquisition plus shifting of utilities having estimated cost of Rs5.455 billion will be completed in the current fiscal year. The construction of infrastructure and allied work for Metro Bus Service from Peshawar Mor to NIIA will be completed within the current fiscal year. The construction of road network for New Islamabad International Airport main link, Thalian Link and periphery road with estimated cost of Rs11.295 billion will be completed in the ongoing fiscal for which the government made allocation of Rs5 billion.

The government has approved project for Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for undertaking survey and feasibility studies of six additional Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) at different places of the country with estimated cost of Rs150 million and it was expected that this feasibility study is expected to be completed within the current fiscal year. After completion of feasibility studies, the government will be able to approve more nuclear power plants in different parts of the country after completion of Chashma-3 and 4 as well as Nuclear Power Plant at Karachi with help of China.

The Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-3 and 4 with estimated cost of Rs234.925 billion were expected to be completed during the current fiscal year as the government had allocated Rs7.110 billion for completion of these projects.

The Neelum Jheleum Hydropower project with installed capacity of 969MW and its first unit will be completed during the current fiscal year. In a classic example of cost and time overrun, this project will be completed with estimated cost of Rs404.321 billion and the government had allocated Rs19.573 billion during the current fiscal year for completion of its first unit.

The 1,200MW RLNG based power plant at Balloki, District Kasur, Punjab having estimated cost of Rs92.336 billion is expected to be completed during the current fiscal year for which the government has allocated Rs39.256 billion in the current PSDP.

For another 1200MW LNG Based plant Haveli Bahdarshah will be completed this year with estimated cost of Rs98.104 billion and the government has allocated Rs37.184 billion in the ongoing fiscal year.

Power Division’s 49 projects are expected to be completed during the current fiscal year including power generation, improving transmission and distribution system.

The project for security improvement in Karachi Port and Port Qasim for installation of three fixed and one mobile scanner with grant of Japan’s JICA with estimated cost of Rs1,801 million will be completed during this ongoing fiscal year.

Prime Minister’s National Health Programme having estimated cost of Rs8.179 billion will be completed in the current fiscal year. The construction of residence of Speaker of National Assembly with cost of Rs112.090 million will be completed in the current fiscal year. The boundary wall of residence of Senate chairman will be completed with total cost of Rs35.044 million will also be completed this year. The security arrangements at Parliament House Building G-5 Islamabad will be completed with estimated cost of Rs98.133 million in the current fiscal year.

The computerisation of PM Secretariat (phase-II) with estimated cost of Rs190 million will be completed in this fiscal year. The online recruitment system for Federal Public Service Commission (Phase-II) is going to be completed this fiscal year. The replication of e-office for basic applicability at 45 divisions of federal government is going to be completed with total cost of Rs440 million.

The site development and construction of boundary wall at Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) site of establishment at IT Park at Chak Shahzad, Islamabad will be completed with cost of Rs37.603 million.

For construction of 100 delay action dam in Balochistan, under package-II 26 small dams will be completed with cost of Rs4.647 billion.