ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif presided over a meeting here on Friday to finalise allocations for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the fiscal year 2014-15.

The meeting approved allocations for the construction of 4,500MW Diamer-Bhasha dam, 2,160MW Dasu hydro power project, construction of Faisalabad-Khanewal M-4 Motorway and the Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro bus project.

It gave approval to feasibility studies to be carried out for the following projects: rail link from Islamabad to Muzaffarabad via Murree, rail link from Havelian to the Pak-China border, rail link connecting Gwadar with Karachi, approach roads to new Islamabad international airport, Gwadar international airport, jetty and infrastructure development at Gadani, Gwadar Port Economic Free Zone, Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute in Gwadar and the second phase of 600MW Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park at Lal Suhanra.

The prime minister was informed that all small, medium and large projects had been evaluated with reference to the cost, importance, priority and timeframe.

Mr Sharif directed that initiation of work on the Lahore-Karachi motorway project be expedited. He was informed that work on the project would begin by the end of current year.

Mr Sharif said: “We have embarked upon the road to progress and the projects initiated by our government will usher our country in an era of prosperity.” These projects, he added, would not only create millions of jobs but also improve the living standard of people.

He emphasised on efficient use of the public money, saying “each penny in our kitty is a public trust”.

The premier was given a briefing on the PSDP projects included in the next budget.

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, MNAs Hamza Shahbaz and Mohammad Safdar and senior officials.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2014