ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Friday approved seven development projects at an estimated cost of Rs125 billion, including distribution of 400,000 free laptops at public expense.

The meeting, presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, rejected a host of projects of Pakistan Railways as proposals were not well prepared. The Ecnec directed their resubmission after clearance by a high level committee.

The seven approved projects related to education, communications, infrastructure and water supply.

The meeting approved the Prime Minister’s laptop scheme under which 400,000 computers would be distributed over a period of four years, among deserving students acquiring higher education in any public sector university or institute across the country.

The Higher Education Commission would be responsible for execution of the project on merit basis. The project would cost the government Rs21.335bn. The ECC directed that all laptops should be based on 100 per cent local assembling in four years at the rate of 25pc each year. It also directed to ensure maximum possible manufacturing of parts within the country.

The HEC was asked to coordinate with the federal and Punjab governments seeking joint procurement of laptop computers.

The Ecnec also approved, in principle, Rs21.241bn for rehabilitation and modernisation of Guddu Barrage under Sindh Barrages Improvement Project Phase-1.

It was decided with consensus to look into possibility of financing by International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) — a new window of World Bank financing facility qualified recently by Pakistan.

The meeting also approved Extension of Water Resources for Faisalabad City-Phase-I (Revised PC-1) at a cost of Rs6.020bn. The project aims at provision of water supply facility based on meeting daily increasing demand for households and managing the existing system more efficiently for provision of potable water to the target population.

The Ecnec also approved widening and strengthening of National Highway N-70 (Rakhi Gajj-Bewata) 32.651kms (East West Road Improvement Project N-70) at the revised rationalised cost of Rs18.453bn with the recommendation that no further revision in the scope and cost would be allowed.

It also approved Rs4.789bn for Dualisation and Improvement of Sohawa-Chakwal Road Project, for which former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf is facing investigations by the National Accountability Bureau on the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The project envisages construction of 66.405km new additional 20 feet (two-lane carriageway) along with provision of allied facilities and structures from Sohawa to Chakwal. Both roads would have one metre treated shoulders on either side bifurcatred with 3 to 1.5 metre wide median in rural and urban areas, respectively.

The Ecnec also approved construction of bridge across river Chenab linking Shorkot and Garh Maharaja at a reviewed and reduced cost of Rs4.048bn. On the observation of Planning Commission that the executing agency, NHA had implemented additional scope without seeking approval of the competent authority, the meeting with the consensus sought report after due inquiry to be conducted by the Member Implementation and Monitoring of the Planning Commission.

The meeting also sought report on issues regarding the Khajori-Bawata sector of road project.

The meeting also approved rehabilitation and reconstruction of 652km road network all over the country, damaged in 2010 floods. The cumulative cost of these roads was set at Rs49bn.

Among others, these roads also include Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar-Torkham (243.96km), Sukkur-Sibi-Quetta (17km), Kuchlak-Zhob-DG Khan (49.68km), Kotri-Larkana-DG Khan-DI Khan-Peshawar (87.674km), Gwadar-Hoshab-Awaran-Khuzdar-Ratodero (12.77km).

While taking up various projects in the railways sector, the Ecnec directed the Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal to have detailed deliberations on the proposed projects along with Minister for Railways and officials concerned to chalk out a comprehensive programme of development projects which could be taken up for approval by the Ecnec.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2015

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