CDWP approves Rs16.1bln of projects

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party on Thursday approved four projects worth Rs16.1 billion and recommended two worth Rs44.2 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for consideration.

The CDWP took the decisions during a meeting headed by by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jehanzeb Khan. Additional Secretary Planning Humair Karem, 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 energy, culture sports and tourism, transport and communication, food and agriculture and governance were presented at the meeting.

A project related to energy – establishment of 48 megawatts of Jagran hydropower station phase-11 in district Neelum of Kashmir – worth Rs11.4 billion was referred to Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for further approval.

The proposed project envisages construction of 48 megawatts of hydropower station. The project is a run-off river type.

A project related to culture sports and tourism namely heritage and urban regeneration in Lahore Tourism Development in Lahore Fort and its Buffer zone worth Rs3.7 billion was approved in the meeting.

The project envisages restoration and preservation of various components of Lahore fort along with rehabilitation, reconnection of fort with walled city and up-gradation of outskirts. Three projects related to transport and communication presented in the meeting.

The Central Development Working Party approved the project – rehabilitation of Pasni fish harbour project – worth Rs1.5 billion. The second approved project was infrastructure up-gradation of Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Limited – worth Rs7.8 billion.

The third approved project was construction of road from Zeyara to Dabori in district Orakzai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A project related to food and agriculture – locust emergency and food security project -- worth Rs32.8 billion was referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for consideration. This project will carry out in 18 districts of four provinces.

“The project aims to enhance food security and growth of the sector through control the locust outbreak, strengthening the national food security system and mitigate negative social and economic impact associated with locust attack,” the planning ministry said in a statement.