ISLAMABAD, Aug 11: Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Monday approved 19 projects at a total cost of Rs48.4 billion.
Presided over by Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, the meeting expressed satisfaction over utilization of Rs132.5 billion (99 per cent) during 2002-03 out of Rs134 billion.
Informed sources told Dawn that more than 35 per cent funds were released during the month of June in a hurry to show maximum utilization which otherwise would have lapsed.
The meeting was also told that every officer of the planning commission would be responsible for physical monitoring of projects of their respective sectors.
A participant of the meeting, however, said the decision would negatively affect technical work of the planning commission.
The finance minister told the meeting that timely monitoring of projects was necessary so that Rs160 billion PSDP for the current financial year was utilized promptly.
He said that funds would now be released on the basis of reports of officers after physical checking.
The federal and provincial government departments were urged to monitor projects on a monthly basis and identify bottlenecks.
Nineteen projects approved by Ecnec on Monday include: education costing Rs767.525 million, communications Rs8.5 billion, housing Rs6.048 billion, social infrastructure Rs7.965 billion, science and technology Rs1.596 billion, irrigation Rs12.963 billion, health Rs267.5 million, governance Rs319.460 million and hydroelectric power Rs280.454 million.
An amount of Rs12.963 billion with foreign exchange component (FEC) of Rs542 million was approved by Ecnec for revamping irrigation and drainage system in Sindh.
Ecnec approved Rs448.16 million with foreign exchange component of Rs303.168 millions for establishing 350 community schools in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) to provide quality primary education for socio-economic uplift of the region.
These schools will be established where primary schools do not exist.
The meeting approved setting up of national education assessment system (NEAS) to focus on institutionalizing the monitoring system for continued improvement in the educational system.
It also approved Rs1.853 billion PAKSAT project phase-II with foreign exchange component of Rs1.695 billion to secure a strategic orbital slot allocated by the International Telecom Union (ITU).
For the AJK, Ecnec approved Rs1.486 billion rural digital uplift project phase-II with foreign exchange component of Rs876 million.
Similarly, Rs1.969 billion were approved for telecommunication regulation and privatization support project with a foreign exchange component of Rs1.194 billion to carry out studies to accelerate and upgrade telecommunication services and their privatization.
The meeting passed Rs7.965 billion Quetta water supply and environmental improvement project for increasing water supply from 10 million gallons to 26 million gallons.
Apart from that it approved strengthening of the mineral and metallurgy research center (MMRC) to train mineral scientists, metallurgists, and geologist. The training facilities would include awarding of M.Sc, M.Phil and PhD degrees. The Rs299 million project with FEC of Rs128.06 billion projects would help up-grade skills and create specialize service sector within the country.
Ecnec also approved Rs1.297 billion with FEC of Rs644 million PCSIR-industrial linkage programme for procurement of basic and state-of-the-art equipment for technology centres in the areas of food, textiles, minerals sciences, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
Rs2.928 billion were approved for construction of a 56.8km long road to cater for traffic plying between Karachi port and the up country via the National Highway.
The meeting approved Rs243.548 million for the construction of an underpass at the Mall canal crossing intersection in Lahore city.
An amount of Rs319.460 million was approved for construction of the National Accountability Bureau Complex.
To provide cost effective and cheap electricity to the consumers, the Ecnec approved construction of 4.8 megawatt Battar Hydro electric power station, Bagh in the AJK.
To boot, it approved PhD fellowship for 5,000 scholars at an estimated cost of Rs6.419 billion on annual funding basis.
In the end, Ecnec reviewed progress of ongoing projects. It noted that in Punjab 59 projects costing Rs3.566 billion, 99 projects in Sindh costing Rs7.189 billion, 46 projects in the NWFP costing Rs4.380 billion and 25 projects in Balochistan costing Rs892.5 million were being implemented satisfactorily. The total number of projects under implementation throughout Pakistan were 229.
