ISLAMABAD, July 5: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has set energy and water, balanced regional development and poverty reduction and job creation as priorities for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2012-13.

Presiding over a meeting held on Thursday to review projects in water and energy sectors, the prime minister directed the Planning Commission to complete the ongoing projects.

He said projects such as Chashma right bank canal, Kachhi canal, greater Thal canal, Quetta water supply scheme, Lyari expressway, Ratodero-Gwadar road, Lowari tunnel and Munda dam should be given priority because of their enormous impact on agriculture, energy, connectivity and potential of agro-based industries throughout the country.

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh informed the meeting that the size of PSDP 2011-12 was Rs300 billion and more than 200 projects had been completed with 100 per cent utilisation of the allocated funds.

“The size of PSDP 2012-13 is Rs360 billion and development projects will be executed in the light of the vision of the prime minister,” he said.

Dr Hafeez said major schemes nearing completion included Mangla dam raising project, Gomal Zam dam, Chashma nuclear power plant, Jinnah hydropower project, Gwadar-Hoshab-Ratodero road and Lowari tunnel.

In order to monitor the completion of ongoing projects, it was decided that executing agencies would submit monthly reports to the Planning Commission about progress on the projects in hand.

It was also decided that the milestones achieved to complete the projects of national importance should be clearly incorporated in implementation reports.