ISLAMABAD:
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday, cleared several key development initiatives, approving three projects outright while recommending four major schemes to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval.
Among the highlights was the referral of the massive Karachi-Lahore Motorway (KLM) land acquisition and utility relocation project, worth Rs68.7 billion, to ECNEC. The project involves compensation for affected properties and relocation of services along a 959-kilometre stretch of the motorway, excluding the 136km M-9 and 57km M-4 sections already completed.
The CDWP also gave a green light to the “Action to Strengthen Performance for Inclusive and Responsive Education Program (TA Component)”, a revised education sector project costing Rs1.38 billion.
In the health sector, a significant scheme titled “Establishment of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research, Lahore”, estimated at Rs74.9 billion, was referred to ECNEC. The project is expected to be financed under the Punjab provincial Annual Development Programme (ADP).
On the energy front, the Harpo Hydropower Project (34.5MW), now revised to Rs34.3 billion, was also forwarded to ECNEC.
Meanwhile, two transport and communications projects advanced in Thursday’s meeting. The CDWP approved the construction of an eight-lane overhead bridge at Imamia Colony Railway Crossing, Shahdara (N-5) at a cost of Rs4.67 billion, while the motorway-related land acquisition scheme was sent up to ECNEC for review.
Another major scheme, the Balochistan Water Resources Development Sector Project (BWRDSP), covering the Zhob and Mula river basins, was also recommended to ECNEC with its revised cost of Rs49.9 billion.
Additionally, the forum granted concept clearance for exploring international financing of five proposals, including three agriculture-related projects from Balochistan aimed at improving water and resource management in the province.
