ISLAMABAD, March 1: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) of the Planning Commission on Saturday approved 33 projects worth Rs42.8 billion.

The CDWP took the decision at a meeting held with Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Akram Sheikh in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Commission spokesman Muhammad Arif Sheikh said that 12 projects worth Rs36.8 billion would be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval. These projects included 16 infrastructure development projects, costing Rs37.4 billion and 17 social sector projects worth Rs5.4 billion.

About Rs18.9 billion would be spent on 11 projects in Sindh. The cost of two of the projects worth Rs800 million would be shared by the federal and Sindh governments on the 50:50 basis while one of the projects worth Rs5.1 billion would be financed by the Sindh government.

An amount of Rs15.5 will be spent on two umbrella projects to be financed by the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority in the Bagh and Rawalakot areas of Azad Kashmir.

Twenty-seven projects costing Rs20.9 billion will be financed by the federal government. One of the three projects to be initiated in Punjab -- technical assistance loan to the Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System costing Rs500 million -- will be financed by the Punjab government.

The approved infrastructure schemes include six energy-related projects.

About Rs970 million, with a foreign exchange component of Rs179 million, will be spent on 132kv sub-stations in Gwadar while Rs1.108 billion, including Rs126 million in foreign exchange, will be utilised for inter-connection of nine independent power producers with the national grid. An electricity distribution and transmission improvement project in Multan will cost about Rs195.606 million, including Rs122.715 million in foreign exchange.

Sustainable development programme for energy, efficiency, conservation and renewable resources will cost Rs53.710 million with a foreign exchange component of Rs26.770 million.

The development and operation of a test-pit in the leased area comprising Block-II of the Thar Lignite Resource in Sindh will cost Rs1.24 billion, including a foreign exchange component of Rs930 million, while Rs490.48 million will be spent on the national power system expansion plan. Its cost includes Rs318.94 million in foreign exchange.

In the transport and communication sector, over Rs7,834 million has been set aside for the rehabilitation of the railways’ assets damaged during riots after the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto. The conversion of 135km Mirpurkhas-Khokhrapar metre-gauge railway line into broad-gauge up to the Indian border will cost more than Rs1.885 billion. An estimated amount of Rs974 million will be spent on water and power division’s flood protection projects.

In the social sector, over Rs205 million will be spent on restructuring of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics. Another Rs360 million has been set aside for monitoring projects financed by the Public Sector Development Programme.