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CDWP proposes three mega projects worth over Rs65bln to Ecnec

By Mehtab Haider
January 11, 2019

ISLAMABAD: The Planning Commission’s Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday cleared and recommended three mega projects of more than Rs65 billion to the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).

The projects which have been recommended to ECNEC include Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication of $986 million, Nai Gaj Dam worth Rs46.5 billion, and Punjab police integrated command, control and communication project, with an estimated cost of Rs17.520 billion.

Federal Minister for Planning Development and Reform and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar chaired the meeting on Thursday.

The meeting was also attended by Secretary Planning Zafar Hasan, officials from different ministries and provincial governments.

The projects referred to ECNEC included water resources, health and information technology.

The CDWP fully recommended the second revision of the Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication worth $986 million to the ECNEC.

While taking the briefing on this project, the planning minister said polio eradication was a national priority, so a fast monitoring mechanism should be made to ensure smooth implementation.

He instructed that federal and provincial governments should work closely to eradicate the core reservoirs where sewerage water was contaminated with polio virus.

Bakhtyar also appreciated the role of the focal person of polio, and hoped that all out efforts would be made to ensure complete eradication of this disease in coming days.

The project was provisionally recommended to ECNEC by CDWP last week.

The Nai Gaj Dam project second revision worth Rs46.5 billion was also referred

to ECNEC for its final approval.

Secretary Planning Zafar Hasan said Nai Gaj Dam would overcome water shortages, irrigating an area of 28,000 acres in Sindh, and hence needed to be dealt jointly by the federal as well as Sindh government.

Considering the importance of the project, its completion should be expedited without any further delay, he said.

The Punjab police integrated command and control centre Lahore project worth Rs17.520 billion was also referred to the ECNEC.

This project envisaged modernisation of infrastructure system and capabilities of the Punjab police to proactively manage the security situation and to professionalise the police response to incidents by moving towards mission-focused deployment of resources.