ISLAMABAD, Dec 18: The Planning Commission here on Thursday approved 20 development projects at a cost of Rs42.9 billion, including Rs4.9 billion Sindh on Farm Management Project.

Official sources told Dawn that the central development working party (CDWP) of the commission, which met with its Secretary Javed Sadiq Malik in the chair, deferred one project in the education sector while another two projects were withdrawn.

Now the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), the sources said, would meet here on Dec 29, to finally approve these uplift plans. However the projects costing up to Rs200 million will be considered as finally approved by the CDWP.

In the water resources sector, the meeting approved Rs17.9 billion Rainee Canal Project which was tentatively approved in the previous CWDP meeting, but was asked to be presented again on Thursday for removing various objections to it. “Now it is finally approved from our side,” an official concerned said.

The procurement of equipment for inspection, repair and assessment of strength and residual life project for bridges was also approved at a cost of Rs521 million.

The meeting discussed in detail and approved the initiation of a Rs2.5 billion development project in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata) on the directive of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The sources said the meeting withdrew establishment of the proposed Rs92.5 billion national centre for drought environment, monitoring and early warning project at Islamabad. Similarly, the replacement of air-conditioning plant building project at the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation was also withdrawn.

The meeting deferred Rs148 million provision of auditorium administration block, science laboratories and room project at F-6/2 college, Islamabad.

Other projects approved are: PhD scholarships in the field of natural and basic science (Rs199.3 million), addition of third lane to Islamabad Highway from Zero Point to Faizabad Interchange, Islamabad, (Rs122.6 million), feasibility system definition study of PAKSAT project (Rs71.5 million), technical loan for supporting public resources management reforms in Punjab (Rs232 million), Dir area support project (Rs1.5 billion), construction of sports stadium at Nawabshah, Sindh, (Rs43.6 million), construction of sports stadium at Skardu (Rs50 million), reproductive health project of the population welfare division (Rs198 million), population welfare programme project for the NWFP (Rs2.4 billion), construction of high security office block at the ministry of foreign affairs (Rs287 million), supplementing scholarship under cultural exchange programme project (Rs113 million), enhancing participation in education through innovative schemes for the vulnerable groups (Rs46.7 million), industrial efficiency and environment management sector project (Rs8.4 billion), reproductive health project for the NWFP (Rs93.9 million), reproductive health project for Sindh (Rs139.6 million), institute of cardiology at Multan (Rs754.2 million), and computer science teachers/laboratory project (Rs1.9 billion).