May 8, 2005	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, May 7: The federal government has decided to initiate 53 development projects across the country at a cost of Rs97.7 billion, including Rs28.7 billion Basic Urban Services project in Sindh. Official sources told Dawn that the Central Development Working Party of the Planning Commission was meeting here on Monday to discuss and approve the projects.

Some of the projects have also been recommended by President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

According to sources, the ministry of finance is expected to make available Rs97.7 billion to undertake the projects this year in various sectors including health, education, manpower, physical planning and housing, water resources, population welfare, environment, industries and commerce.

The Basic Urban Services project in Sindh is expected to be launched soon. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has assured to offer Rs17.6 billion for the project whereas the remaining Rs11.1 million will be provided by the federal government.

The project is aimed at facilitating sustainable urban development for low income communities in the province of Sindh.

In keeping with the poverty reduction partnership agreement between the government and the ADB, the poorest urban areas in Sindh will be targeted to remove acute shortages of drinking water and sanitation and solid waste management facilities in addition to supporting social development and seeking opportunities to promote women’s participation.

Sources said that international consultants in the field of water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, urban governance and environment etc will be hired for the project.

Some of the major projects expected to be approved by the Monday’s meeting include: rehabilitation and improvement of rail track (Rs11.2 billion), expanded programme of immunization and control of diarrhoea (Rs11.4 billion), establishment and operation of 43,584 non- formal basic education schools including 8,970 running schools and 4,341 non-formal middle community schools (Rs12.3 billion), Karachi Northern Bypass project — construction of two-lane additional carriageway (Rs5.2 billion), construction of Tank Zam Dam (Rs4.6 billion), National Programme for Prevention and Control of Blindness in Pakistan (Rs2.7 billion), prevention and control of hepatitis infection (Rs2.5 billion), establishment of 400-bed women hospital in Rawalpindi (Rs1.4 billion), construction of Peshawar Northern Bypass (Rs3 billion) and establishment of water quality monitoring laboratories and model water filter plants at 107 districts (Rs1.8 billion).