ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: The Central Developmental Working Party (CDWP) approved 43 projects on Saturday in energy, communication and social sectors with an estimated cost of Rs75.4 billion, which includes a foreign component of Rs22.4 billion.

Twenty-four projects costing Rs70.7 billion will be forwarded to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for final approval.

Fifteen projects in energy sector worth Rs27 billion were recommended for Ecnec’s approval. Wapda will finance most of these schemes and an amount of Rs3.1 billion has already been allocated for some of these schemes in the Public Sector Development Programme.

Planning and Development Division Secretary Suhail Safdar and representatives of central and provincial governments attended the CDWP meeting.An amount of Rs4.721 billion will be spent on improvement of the underdeveloped areas in Sindh, Rs174 million on capacity building of the Thar Coal Energy Board and over Rs388 million on the Tarbela fourth extension project of 960MW. The meeting approved over Rs1.68 billion for interconnection of six plants of IPPs with the national grid.

The CDWP also sanctioned Rs2.817 billion for sewerage and water supply project in Multan and over Rs1.34billion for the NWFP rural water supply and sanitation project.