ISLAMABAD, Aug 5: The federal government has constituted a 27-member working group on water resource development for inclusion of water and irrigation-related projects in the five- year plan 2005-10.

Officials said on Thursday that the working group would visit all provinces, Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas to discuss priority projects. The group, led by secretary water and power Ashfaq Mehmood, would discuss water-related issues with the parliamentary and technical committee on water resources constituted by the president in 2003 and study their recommendations.

The group would also study water-related development projects of the provincial governments and prepare its recommendations in the light of the proposed national water policy and water strategy.

The group has been asked to submit its recommendations to the planning commission by latest by Sept 15 so that it could be made part of the next five-year plan. The group includes senior officials and private sector members.