CDWP approves projects worth Rs28bln

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Wednesday approved six projects worth at least Rs28 billion and referred two others to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for further approval.

The decisions were taken during a meeting chaired by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jehanzeb Khan.

CDWP considered four projects including two new projects and approved one project worth Rs7.25 billion. It also approved five position papers worth Rs21.1 billion. Two position papers worth Rs37.2 billion were referred to Ecnec for further approval.

Secretary Planning Mathar Niaz Rana, senior officials from the Planning Commission and federal ministries/divisions also participated in the meeting, while representatives from provincial governments participated through video conference.

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

Two position papers related to energy were approved. The first project was 220-kilovolt Dhabeji substation for provision of electricity for Dhabeji special economic zone (SEZ) worth Rs4.1 billion. The project will facilitate the electrification of Dhabeji SEZ, construction of 220-kilovolt substation. Associated transmission line has been planned to supply ultimate load of 250 megawatts to the SEZ. Second approved position paper was titled 34.5MW Harpo hydropower project in district Skardu worth Rs9.5 billion. The main objective of the project is to provide adequate facilities for the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy keeping in view the future requirements in Baltistan region.

A project related to physical planning and housing – Rs7.2 billion – was approved in the meeting. The project is titled improvement of water treatment plant and water distribution system in Faisalabad -- construction of distribution centre, rehabilitation of Old Jhai Khanuana water treatment plant phase-1

Another approved position paper was construction of a judicial and administration complex in the Mauve area. The project is worth Rs537 million. A position paper related to science and technology – Jalozai campus of University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar – worth Rs6.5 billion was approved.

Three position papers related to transport and communications worth Rs17.2 billion were referred to ECNEC. Second project, land acquisition for Swat motorway phase-II worth Rs20 billion, was also referred to Ecnec.

Accelerated development plan for southern Balochistan worth Rs313 million was approved. Under the project, around 320,000 additional households will be provided with electricity, increasing the electricity provision from current 12 percent to 57 percent of the households. Households will be provided gas facilities. 640,000 children will be facilitated through accelerated and distance learning programs. Sixteen dams will add 0.5 million acres feet of water storage sufficient to irrigate 150,000 acres of land.

CDWP also discussed two concept clearance proposals namely Sindh human capital project worth Rs.2.4 billion and crises resilient social protection worth Rs128.2 billion.