ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday cleared three development projects worth Rs55.5 billion, including a Rs31.2bn information technology scheme for Karachi.

A meeting of the CDWP, presided over by Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, approved Rs3.4bn for a cancer hospital in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and recommended two other projects for approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

The cancer hospital in Muzaffarabad would be set up and operated by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) on the pattern of similar hospitals in provincial capitals and Islamabad.

The CDWP reviewed the Rs31.2bn project for establishment of IT park in Karachi and recommended its approval by Ecnec. The project to be set up and operated by the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) envisages construction of an 11-storey IT park building to be situated near Jinnah International Airport. The project is funded by the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) to an extent of 85 per cent with a $158.5 million loan (Rs26.5bn) and Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) funding of 15pc.

Schemes include Rs31.2bn IT park in Karachi and Rs3.4bn cancer hospital in Muzaffarabad

The meeting was told that about 210 IT companies having 8,400 employees would be accommodated in the IT park. The project would be completed in six years, including four years for construction and two years for operation and maintenance support. It will then become self-sufficient through public-private partnership operations for revenue generation in the form of rentals, services and auditorium facilities and is estimated to have an economic international rate of return (EIRR) of 17.17pc. The PSEB has already leased six acres of land near Jinnah International Airport.

The meeting referred a Rs20.8bn worth of health sector project of the Sindh government to Ecnec for approval. The project “Covid-19 Response and other Natural Climes Control Programme” envisages strengthening of health and well-being system so that the public health system could be strengthened to deal with the immediate effects of infectious diseases.

The scope of the project includes civil work on a 20-bed intensive care unit, 30-bed high dependency units, six district headquarters, a 20-bed Covid ward, 23 tehsil headquarters, upgrade of six DHQs and 10 other general hospitals of Karachi and Hyderabad and Shadadpure Institute of Medical Science, installation of 13 oxygen generation plants at various hospitals. Vehicles and administrative costs will be met by the provincial government.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2021