ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved 17 development projects worth Rs178.3 billion and forwarded six mega projects to Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval.

The approved projects include schemes in transport and communications, energy, water resources, information technology, higher education, physical planning and housing, health and governance sectors.

The CDWP has given a go-ahead to the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) I, II and III, worth Rs17.5bn, Rs61.9bn and Rs10.8bn respectively, and was recommended to the Ecnec for further approval.

The RBOD-II was reconsidered by the CDWP in March wherein the financing mechanism of the project’s flood component was discussed in detail.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal referred to the decision taken by CCI regarding national flood protection plan wherein the federal and the Sindh governments have agreed on a 50-50 cost-sharing basis. The project was approved after agreement by the Sindh government to share the flood protection cost of Rs7bn.

In transport and communication sector, the Party recommended three mega projects, worth Rs43.2bn, to the Committee. CDWP recommended CAREC’s (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation) Corridor Development Investment Programme Tranche-I projects to the Ecnec for approval. The project is part of the CAREC Corridor Road Network 5 and 6, connecting Pakistan up north to China, and west to Afghanistan respectively.

The Rs24.7bn ADB-financed project aims to improve 208km of N-55 road in three sections including, 128km Petaro to Sehwan section dualisation; 44km Ratodero to Shikarpur section dualisation, including construction of 2km bypass at Lakhi Town to avoid huge cost of land and impacts of resettlements and rehabilitation of existing dual carriageway from 36km Darra Adam Khel to Peshawar Section.

The second project approved entails construction of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Bridge over Indus with Guide Banks linking N-5 with N-55 including approach roads worth Rs9.8bn.

In transport and communication sector, CDWP recommended Rs8.6bn project of construction of 82.5km Chitral Garam Chashma Doraha Pass Road to Ecnec for approval.

In physical planning and housing sector, CDWP approved two projects worth Rs29.4bn and referred the ‘Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Programme’ worth Rs27.2bn to the Committee.

CDWP also gave a go-ahead to scaling up of rural sanitation through ‘Saaf Suthro Sindh’ (SSS). project worth Rs2.2bn, to be financed by Asian Development Bank.

CDWP further approved two projects in IT sector worth Rs2.7bn. It includes E-Office (basic common applications) replication at divisions of federal government.

The Planning Commission forum approved Rs104.7m energy sector project ‘Hiring Consultancy Services for Third Party Validation of Neelum-Jhehlum hydropower project.

A Rs2.4bn agriculture project regarding promotion of olive cultivation on commercial scale was approved, besides a go-ahead to Economic Affairs Division’s ‘Strengthening of External Debt Management’ project worth Rs64m.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2017