ISLAMABAD: The Exec­utive Committee of the Nat­i­onal Economic Council (Ecnec) on Thursday appro­ved four development projects at a cost of about Rs250 billion.

The Ecnec meeting, presided over by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, discussed a proposal for the construction of Lodhran-Multan section (North Bound 62 km) of N-5 and two flyovers at Railway Crossing on Lodhran Bypass. The meeting gave approval for the project at a cost of Rs12.434bn.

Under the project, to be completed in 24 months, beside road two flyovers, three interchanges at Super Chowk and Permit Chowk in Lodhran and an interchange at Bahawalpur Chowk Mul­tan would be built. Besides, four minor bridges, as well as reconstruction and widening of culverts and urban area improvement at Basti Malook Multan City and Larr Town, would also be carried out under the project.

The reconstruction of exis­­­­ting two-lane northbound section and construction of flyovers, interchanges and area improvements wou­ld help reduce traffic hazard and congestion on the project road. After completion of the project, a safe, reliable and efficient road facility would be available for commuters.

The meeting also appro­ved a project titled ‘Punjab Human Capital Investment Project’ at a cost of Rs32bn to strengthen primary health facilities, introduce conditional cash transfer programme to encourage the poor to access the health and nutrition support, support economic inclusion for the young parents with children for poverty alleviation and expand and strengthen early childhood education.

The project, to be completed in five years, would be rolled out in 11 less-dev­eloped districts of Punjab, including Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Khushab, Lay­­yah, Lodhran, Mi­­anwali, Muzaffargarh, Ra­­h­im Yar Khan and Rajanpur.

The Ecnec also considered and approved Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa Irrigated Agri­cul­ture Improvement Project (KP-IAIP) at a cost of Rs30bn for improvement of 14,260 watercourses, installation of 10,000 acres high-efficiency irrigation system, construction of 5,000 water storage tanks, provision of 500 laser land levelers, capacity building, strategic studies and value addition, and project management and monitoring. The project, to be completed in six years, would be rolled out in all 26 districts of the province.

The meeting also considered the Diamer-Basha Dam Project (acquisition of land and resettlement) and acco­r­ded approval to the project with the instruction to the Planning Division to further rationalise the cost.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2020