ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: The government approved on Thursday 51 projects, including revival of the Karachi Circular Railway and construction of Cherah dam.

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), which met here with Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Salman Faruqi in the chair, approved 42 new projects costing Rs237.7 billion. The cost of nine projects was revised to Rs24.7 billion from Rs14 billion.

In its first meeting of the current fiscal year, the CDWP approved Rs262.4 billion for the projects.

The KCR project is expected to be executed in three years at a cost of Rs52.372 billion with a foreign component of Rs39.257 billion.

The 50 km railway project will have 21 underpasses and overhead bridges and 23 stations in the city. The Circular Railway would carry 700,000 passengers daily through 246 trains.

Planning Commission Spokesman Asif Shaikh told newsmen that the foreign funding component for the projects was Rs91.2 billion.

He said 32 projects of Rs238 billion related to infrastructure and 19 projects of Rs24.4 billion to social sector with foreign components of Rs30.81 billion and Rs9.90 billion, respectively

He said that the cost of 22 projects was over Rs500 million. The projects costing Rs255.50 billion were referred to the Executive Committee of National Economic Council for approval.

He said 46 projects of Rs218.40 billion would be financed by the federal government, while 18 projects in Punjab, including 13 of the Multan Package costing Rs500 million, would be financed by the provincial government.

Six development projects for Sindh of Rs94.40 billion, eight for Balochistan to be completed at a cost of Rs9.10 billion, two for the NWFP to cost Rs600 million and six for the AJK of Rs13.10 billion were also approved.

The spokesman said an amount of Rs1.50 billion was approved for three projects in Fata.

He said the Punjab government would provide Rs5.31 billion for Cherah dam.

The federal government will provide 70 per cent, while the AJK government will bear 30 per cent of the Rs6.7 billion cost of two hydel projects to be built in Azad Kashmir.

The CDWP approved Rs65 million for provision/installation of ILS (Instrument Landing System) facility at Quetta International Airport; Rs1.497 billion for acquisition of land for the new Gwadar International Airport; Rs433 million for an inland container dry port near the Shershah Railway Station in Multan; Rs1.147 billion for construction of a bridge on Sutlej at Amanwala; Rs1.925 billion for rehabilitation of the 61 km Larkana-Naudero-Lakhi Road; Rs1.931 billion for dualisation/rehabilitation of the 28 km Larkana-Moenjodaro Road; and Rs8.119 billion for the deepening and widening of Port Qasim navigation channel.

An amount of Rs5 billion was approved for establishment of 43.5 MW Jagran hydropower station (Phase-2) in AJK; Rs1.745 billion for establishment of 14.4 MW Jhing hydropower project in district Muzaffarabad; and Rs116.607 billion for Diamer Basha Dam -- acquisition of land and resettlement.

The CDWP approved Rs2.546 billion for Indus 21 water sector capacity building and advisory services project, Rs5.523 billion for water supply and sewerage scheme in Mirpur city and hamlets in the periphery of Mangla Dam and Rs30 billion for improvement of infrastructure in urban areas of Sindh.

It approved Rs3.159 billion for small projects of Higher Education Commission, Rs1.766 billion for education; Rs8.749 billion for health projects mostly related to HIV/Aids programme; Rs461.256 million for environment; Rs6.215 billion for governance; Rs872.361 million for levies’ training; Rs634.618 million for social welfare and Rs2.519 billion for mass media, culture, sports and tourism.