CDWP approves 21 schemes worth Rs 6 bn:

Islamabad: Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has recommended 12 projects costing Rs 36.8 billion for Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) consideration and approved 21 schemes worth Rs 6 billion. The CDWP met here on Saturday with deputy chairman Planning Commission (PC) Dr Akram Sheikh in the chair.

This was the sixth meeting of the CDWP during the current fiscal. In the earlier five meeting, 185 projects costing Rs 523 billion were either approved for recommended to Ecnec approval. Briefing media after the meeting, PC Asif Sheikh said that total foreign assistance has been estimated at Rs 11.7 billion.

He said that projects costing Rs 20.9 billion would be fully financed by the federal government. Two projects costing Rs 15.6 billion will be financed from Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra) Rs 35 billion budget for the current financial year.

Ten projects costing Rs 4 billion have been approved for the whole country. The CDWP approved three schemes worth Rs 1.1 billion for Punjab, 11 projects costing Rs 18.9 billion for Sindh, two project costing Rs 1.4 billion for NWFP, three schemes costing Rs 1.2 billion for Balochistan, two projects worth Rs 15.5 billion for AJK and the same number of schemes valuing 0.7 billion for Northern Areas, said Asif Sheikh flanked by Dr Asad Ali Shah, member infrastructure PC.

Of the three projects in Punjab, one project namely 'Technical Assistance loan for Lahore rapid mass transit system, costing Rs 0.5 billion will be fully financed by the government of Punjab. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide technical assistance.

Dr Asad said that Lahore rapid mass transit was huge project and its total cost would be around 2.4 billion US dollars. The Punjab government will provide $1.4 billion for the project while the remaining amount would be provided by the ADB.

He said that Punjab government was planning to initially lay down the track on 27 kilometres and if that portion remained successful, then the project would be expanded. After that the Punjab government would present PC-I and detailed engineering design of the whole scheme to the PC.

Of the 11 project located in Sindh, two projects costing Rs 0.8 billion will be financed on 50:50 cost sharing basis between the federal and Sindh governments. One project costing Rs 5.1 billion will be fully financed by Sindh government. Asif Sheikh said that Sindh government in collaboration with Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) will construct roads in rural Sindh to improve the inter-district connectivity.

Of the 33 projects, 4 projects have been revised and their net addition in total cost is Rs 1.3 billion. The CDWP will also recommend petroleum and natural resources division project to develop and operate test-pit in Thar coalfield at a cost of Rs 1.24 billion to acquire capability of mining 178 billion tons of coal reserves and use it for power generation. The project also aims at carrying out hydrological study to understand the challenges posed by it.

The CDWP approved 6 projects costing Rs 4.05 billion in energy, five worth Rs 21.3 billion in physical planning and housing, four valuing Rs 11.06 billion in transport and communication, one valuing Rs 0.97 billion in water resources, two worth Rs 0.65 billion in governance, two with estimated cost 0.68 billion in health, 10 costing Rs 3.76 billion in higher education, and three projects worth Rs 0.33 billion in manpower.