CDWP approves $7.2 bn ML-I project

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Lieut General (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Saturday said that the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved the railway Main line (ML-1) project worth of $7.2 billion.

In his tweet, Asim Bajwa, who is also Chairman of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said the project scope included dualisation and up-gradation of 1,872km Railway track from Peshawar to Karachi.

While, under the project, Walton Academy would also be up-graded besides building a dry port at Havelian.

He termed the approval a big milestone for second phase of CPEC.

It indicates that the certain components of the ML-1 were excluded in order to reduce the cost of the project under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting on Saturday chaired by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan approved 13 projects worth Rs36.18 billion. The CDWP recommend $7.2 billion ML-1 project to ECNEC for further approval. The CDWP also recommended four projects worth Rs184 billion to ECNEC for consideration.

Secretary Planning Zafar Hasan, senior officials from Planning Commission and federal ministries/divisions also participated in the meeting while representatives from provincial governments participated through video link.

Projects related to energy, physical planning and housing, science and technology, transport and communications and water resources were presented in the meeting.

The CDWP referred the $7.2 billion ML-1 project to ECNEC for further approval. The ML-1 starts from Karachi, passes through Kotri/Hyderabad, Rohri, Multan, Lahore, and Rawalpindi and terminates at Peshawar. The line is 1,872km long, including the 55km long Taxila-Havelian section and 91km long Lodhran-Khanewal section. The project envisages upgradation of ML-1, establishment of a dry port near Havelian Railway Station; upgradation of Pakistan Railway Academy Walton in Lahore; passenger facilities development of important railway stations, including Karachi, Hyderabad and Rohri in Sindh; Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi in Punjab; Nowshera and Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Two projects related to energy were presented in the meeting. The first project titled “Establishment of 132-KV Grid Station at Bin Qasim Industrial Park (BQIP)” worth Rs1,493.10 million was approved in the meeting. The object of this project is to provide uninterrupted power supply at affordable rates to Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Bin Qasim Industrial Park. Second project namely “Replacement of LT Bare Conductor with ABC Cable in Peshawar, Khyber and Bannu Circle” worth Rs2,806.4 million was also approved in the meeting.

Two projects related to physical planning and housing were presented in the meeting. First project titled “Development of Ziarat Town, Balochistan” worth Rs1,180.09 million was approved in the meeting. The project will focus on long term policies for planned development of the town keeping in view the current scenario and future requirements. Third project titled “Construction of New Campus of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics to function as an Apex Centre of Excellence for Research and Post Graduate Teaching Sector H-11/2 Islamabad” worth Rs4,545.488 million was approved by the CDWP.

Two projects related to Science and Technology were presented in the meeting. First project titled “Establishment of University of Turbat Phase-11” worth Rs1,456.14 million and second project namely “Provision of Missing Facilities at the University of Swabi New Campus Site” worth Rs1,386.462 million were also approved in CDWP meeting.

Four projects related to transport and communications were referred to ECNEC in the meeting. First project titled “Construction of 10th Avenue including interchange and under passes at 10th Avenue from IJP Road to Khayban-e-Iqbal Islamabad” worth Rs1,1078 million, second project namely “Construction of Hosab-Awaran Khuzdar Section of M-8 project, Package -1 Hoshab-Awaran length 146 km” worth Rs26,354.293 million and third project titled “Construction of Peshawar Torkham Motorway Project and Link Road Connecting Motorway with N-5 and N-55 as part of Khyber pass Economic Corridor Project” worth Rs76,551 million and fourth project titled “Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design of Construction of Swat motorway from Chakdara to Fatehpur phase-II- 79.69km” worth Rs70,094.729 million, all four projects were referred to ECNEC for further approval.

The CDWP meeting approved five projects of Ministry of Railways. The first project titled “Rehabilitation and Dualisation of Karachi Circular Railway Phase 11” worth Rs8,705.598 million, second project titled “Rehabilitation of track between Rehmani Nagar and Bakrani Road on Dadu-Habib Kot Section Sukkur Division phase -4” worth Rs1,987.478 million, third project namely “Rehabilitation of Track between Baruli and Sohan Bridge on Kundian Attock City Section Peshawar Division phase -1” worth Rs1,964.937 million, fourth project titled “Re-commissioning of five accidental diesel electric locomotives” worth Rs1,261 million and fifth project titled “Rehabilitation of track between Sama Satta Bhawalnagar on Sama Satta-Amruka Section” worth Rs3,183.164 million were also approved in the meeting.

Two projects related to water resources were presented in the meeting. First project namely “Land acquisition for the project construction of water from Indus River System at Tarbela Dam to the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi includes RCB & CCB” worth Rs3,154.671 million and second project namely “Construction of small storage dams in district Khuzdar” worth Rs3,056.075 million were approved in the meeting.