ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday cleared a total of eight development projects with a cumulative estimated cost of about Rs41.2 billion.

The meeting of the CDWP, presided over by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, approved six projects worth Rs10.3bn and recommended two projects worth Rs30.86bn to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval.

Under the recently revised financial rules, the CDWP is empowered to itself approve projects costing no more than Rs10bn while the projects of higher estimated costs are approved by Ecnec once the CDWP clears them on technical grounds.

The projects taken up by the CDWP on Thursday related to Energy, Physical Planning & Housing, Science & Technology, Transport & Communications and Education.

Two projects related to energy were considered. The first project named “220kV Haripur substation” worth Rs3.626bn was approved. The project involved construction of Haripur Grid Station at 220kV level along with associated transmission line to meet the additional load demand and voltage profile improvement of Hattar Special Economic Zone region which falls under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The second energy sector project “Evacuation of Power from 330MW SiddiqSons Energy Coal Fired Power Plant at Thar” was approved at an estimated cost of Rs2.354bn.

Two projects related to Physical Planning & Housing were also approved. The first project titled “Construction of 15 residences for senior police officers at Sector H-11, Islamabad” is estimated to be completed at cost of Rs151.971 million while second project namely “Construction of four police stations in various sectors in Islamabad” will be completed with Rs150.836 million.

A Rs17.92bn project related to Science & Technology namely “National Electronics Complex of Pakistan (Necop) Phase-1” was cleared on technical grounds and recommended to Ecnec for approval.

Two projects related to Transport & Communications were presented in the meeting. The first project namely “Construction of Road from Sibi Talli (20 km) and Kohala Rakhni (80 km)” worth Rs4bn was approved by CDWP. The project envisaged construction and widening of 116-km-long existing road from Sibi Talli (25 km) and Kohlu- Rakhni (91 km) to a width of 24ft with 6ft shoulders on each side.

The second project was “Construction of Lodhran-Multan Section (North bound 62 kms) of N-5 and Construction of two Flyovers at Railways Crossing on Lodhran Bypass” worth Rs12.945bn were referred to Ecnec.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2020