ISLAMABAD The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved 43 projects worth of Rs 75.4 billion including foreign assistance of Rs 22.4 billion.

This was decided in a CDWP meeting, chaired by the Planning and Development Division Secretary Suhail Safdar. Parliamentary Secretary Mian Abdul Sattar and representatives of the federal and provincial governments also attended the meeting.

Out of the 43 projects, around  24 will cost over Rs 500 million each and will be placed before the ECNEC for approval.

Two of the projects will start in Balochistan, one project titled Construction of Black Top Road from Sui to Uch field Km 0 to 57 Km costing Rs 797 million has been approved to provide a faster link in the Dera Bugti Area. This is aimed to provide employment opportunities and alleviate poverty in the region.

Four Water projects located in Sindh and NWFP, costing Rs 11.2 billion, were also approved today while 15 Energy projects costing Rs 27 billion were recommended to the ECNEC. Most of these projects will be financed by WAPDA from its own resources.

Nine Women Centers in earthquake affected areas of AJK and NWFP have been approved, while two projects, costing Rs 10 billion, for lining of distributaries in Sindh and an irrigation channel in NWFP have been given a go-ahead.