ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Wednesday approved four projects worth Rs3.69 billion and agreed for another two projects of Rs33.49bn.

A meeting of the CDWP presided over by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan approved the projects relating to health, physical planning and housing, education and mass media.

The meeting approved the second revision of ‘Sehat Sahulat Programme’ at a cost of Rs31.9bn and a Covid-19 response project to be carried out with Japanese assistance worth Rs1,562.40 million.

The ‘Sehat Sahulat Programme’ (second revision) envisages provision of social health protection against catastrophic health expenditure to all marginalised families living below the poverty line. The programme is under implementation all over the country, including districts of Balochistan, Punjab, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad Capital Territory.

Schemes pertain to health, physical planning, housing, education and mass media sectors

The ‘Japanese Grant Assistance for Covid-19 Response’ project envisages procurement of critical care medical equipment and supplies for upgrade of the existing healthcare facilities across the country.

The CDWP approved a project worth Rs508.20m for construction of a 50-bed hospital with hostels, residential accommodation, medical equipment, ambulances and other vehicles, at Pasni.

The project, which also includes residential accommodation for doctors and paramedical staff, will provide medical facilities to the common man in Pasni and its surrounding areas at a minimal cost.

In the physical planning and housing sector, the meeting approved environment, social safeguard and design studies to prepare sub-project of SOP-II of Karachi Water & Sewerage Services Improvement project at a cost of Rs661.76m.

Environment and social safeguard studies and design have been identified by the environmental and social policy of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the World Bank as prerequisites for securing sustainable funds for water supply and sewerage infrastructure development.

The CDWP approved a project related to the second revision of development communications in the mass media worth Rs616.401m. The project is for the promotion and projection of development projects, policies and programmes of the federal government.

The meeting also approved a position paper on the ‘PTV Terrestrial Digitalisation DTMB Demonstration’ project of the Planning Commission worth Rs3756.918m.

The CDWP approved a revised project of the Balochistan government for establishment of a cadet college in Kharan worth Rs1,908m.

The meeting approved position papers on construction of small storage dams in Khuzdar district worth Rs3056.07m and the 26MW Shagharthang hydropower project worth Rs8616.01m in Skardu district.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2020