CDWP approves seven projects worth Rs19.456 bn

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting on Monday chaired by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jahanzeb Khan approved 7 projects worth Rs19.456 billion and recommended 2 projects worth Rs32.11 Billion to ECNEC for further approval.

CDWP also approved 2 concept clearance proposals worth $330 million. Secretary Planning Zafar Hassan, senior officials from Planning Commission and federal ministries/divisions also participated in the meeting while representatives from provincial governments participated through video conference.

Projects related to Health, Physical Planning and Housing, Education, Transport and Communication, Science and Technology and Water Resources were presented in the meeting.

CDWP approved two projects related to Health sector. Projects titled “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Human Capital Investment Project” Health component and Education component worth Rs13.26 Billion and Rs18.91 billion respectively were recommended for approval to ECNEC.

CDWP accorded approval to three projects related to Science and Technology. One project titled “Up-gradation of Halal Authentication Labs at OCSIR Labs Complex” at Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar worth Rs723 million was approved. Another project titled “Establishment of PCSIR Laboratories” at Multan costing Rs. 1.64 Billion was approved. Another project worth Rs336 million titled “Feasibility study of digital process control and automation in High tech bio-facility at PCSIR Islamabad” was also approved.

Two projects related to the education sector were also approved. Project worth Rs6.9 billion titled “Provision of Basic Educational Facilities in Educational Institutions of ICT under FDE” was accorded approval. Second project, titled “Renovation/Rehabilitation of Physical Infrastructure of 200 Educational Institutions under PM’s Education Sector Reforms in ICT, Islamabad, Phase-II” worth Rs3.73 billion was approved.

One project related to Transport and Communication worth Rs. 3.05 billion for the construction of 77km Ziarat-Dalbadin-Balanosh road was also accorded approval.

One project titled “Construction of Small Storage Dams in Khuzdar” worth Rs3.05 billion was also accorded approval.

CDWP also discussed the financing plan offered by Global Partnership for Education (GPE), World Bank and DFID to support Pakistan’s education sector in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic under the title “National Education Action Plan for COVID-19: ASPIRE” worth $230 million and accorded approval.

The project will help provide immediate and robust response by ensuring the continuation of learning, protecting the health of students and educational staff, and improve the national and provincial level technical capacity for data analysis, research, and planning. Out of total cost $30 million is Grant whereas $200 million shall be loan. Another concept clearance proposal tilted “Solid Waste Emergency Efficiency Program (2020-24)” for Sindh worth $100 million was also cleared.