ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved on Friday 39 development schemes worth Rs124.5 billion in various sectors.
The schemes include 33 new projects worth Rs98.5 billion and a revision of six ongoing projects worth Rs26 billion. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz presided over the meeting.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr Akram Sheikh, said the committee approved nine projects worth about Rs33.4 billion for Balochistan, including seven new projects to be completed at a cost of Rs15 billion.
Responding to a question about slow utilization of funds under the Public Sector Development Programme, Dr Sheikh said that funds utilization this year was better than in previous years, but exact figures would be available once these were approved by the National Economic Council (NEC) at its meeting to be held on March 3.
Most of the projects approved by Ecnec, he said, were aimed at linking the Gwadar port with Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republics. Besides, an increased cost of construction of the Gwadar port, from Rs14.5 billion to Rs16 billion, was approved for the dredging of port channel to allow movement of larger ships.
He said the meeting also approved education sector projects worth Rs2 billion for Balochistan, including a Rs715 million project under which primary schools would be set up for girls, parents would be encouraged to send their daughters to school with annual stipends of Rs2,000 for girls.
Another project worth Rs614 million was approved for setting up five new research institutes in the agriculture sector of Balochistan to increase farm yield and improve livestock.
The highest amount of Rs50.64 billion was approved for nine transport and communication projects. These include Rs11 billion for rehabilitation and repair of road network in the NWFP and Rs12.85 billion for road development and sub-regional connectivity roads in the NWFP - both aimed at improving the road network in the NWFP for linkage with CARs and Afghanistan through Peshawar-Torkham and Ghulam Khan roads.
A Rs3.5 billion project for the development of Kuchlak-Zhob road in Balochistan (N-50) was also approved. The road would provide access to the Gwadar port.
In the education training sector, Ecnec approved three new projects worth Rs3.8 billion. Besides, six projects worth Rs3.2 billion for the higher education sector were also approved.
The meeting approved two new projects to be carried out at a cost of Rs3.97 billion under physical planning for water supply schemes in Abbottabad and Faisalabad, besides a Rs374 million information technology project.
In the water sector, Ecnec approved three new projects worth Rs18.53 billion - Rs887 million Sukkur barrage repair work, Rs17.2 billion Kurram Tangi dam construction in the NWFP and Rs436 million Bolan dam in Balochistan.
In the governance sector, Dr Sheikh said, Ecnec approved four projects, including three new plans worth Rs19.2 billion. These include Rs5.5 billion for the conversion of 'B' areas into 'A' areas by replacing levies with normal police system and Rs4.14 billion for raising the Balochistan Constabulary in 25 districts of the province.
At present, he said, about five per cent area of Balochistan fell in the A-category. The new project will raise the strength of Balochistan Constabulary from 4,000 to 10,000 men.
Ecnec also approved a Rs9.5 billion project for tax reforms by the Central Board of Revenue and a Rs5.2 billion project for balancing, modernization and replacement (BMR) of the Pakistan Security Printing Corporation to improve the quality of currency notes.
The meeting gave its approval to a project worth Rs250 million for population welfare in Fata and Frontier regions. He said population in Fata, which stood at 2.197 million in 1981, increased to 3.488 million in 2003.
He said the meeting was informed that there was a strong acceptance among people in tribal areas of the concept of population planning, contrary to the common perception.
The meeting also approved Rs9.29 billion for three devolution and area development projects for Fata, Azad Kashmir and Barani areas of Punjab. This includes Rs1.21 billion for schemes in Fata, Rs4.56 billion for AJK and Rs3.52 billion for Barani areas of Punjab.
In the energy sector, the meeting approved three new projects worth Rs6.88 billion, including rehabilitation and expansion of distribution system in Lahore, Kasuwal-Sahiwal and eight grid stations in Lahore.