The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved on Friday 17 development projects worth Rs 47.882 billion including Rs 37 billion worth of two projects which were referred to the ECNEC for approval.
The meeting was chaired by Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and attended by senior federal and provincial officials. The projects approved and recommended to the ECNEC are related to water resource, environment, transport and communication, higher education commission, agriculture and food, governance and mass media.
In water resource and environment sector, the CDWP approved and recommended to ECNEC Balochistan integrated water resources management and development project (BIWRMDP) at the cost of Rs 27.1 billion and Sindh resilience project (irrigation component) for strengthening flood embankments and constructing small dams including system for improving resilience at the cost of Rs 9.98 billion. It approved construction of Siran Right Bank Canal District Mansehra with the cost of Rs 2.85 billion.
The CDWP approved first phase of channelisation of Deg Nullah at Rs 1 billion and restoration of J-Head Spur RD 167+000 of Link No 1, restoration of J-Head Spur RD 165+000 of Link No 1 with cost of Rs 144.9 million and Rs 247 million respectively.
In transport and communication sector, the CDWP approved construction of bridge across River Soan at Trap Linking Attock and Chakwal Distt at the cost of Rs 290.68 million.
In higher education, the meeting approved capacity building and strengthening of the centre of excellence in mineralogy, University of Balochistan, Quetta, at the cost of Rs 144 million and also approved capacity building and strengthening of the Pakistan Study Centre, University of Balochistan, Quetta, at the cost of Rs 28.881 million and academic and research linkages with different countries and agencies under bilateral agreement at the cost of Rs 448.55 million.
It also approved industrial linkages – technology park and technology incubator center at the cost of Rs 288 million and strengthening of Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, at the cost of Rs 579 million.
The meeting also approved establishment of School of Professional Development at Sardar Bahadur Khan, Women’s University, Quetta, at the cost of Rs 408 million and Innovation Centre and Innovation Park at UET Lahore sub-campus at the cost of Rs 3 billion. It also approved strengthening of academic and research programmes at University of the Punjab, Lahore.
Ahsan Iqbal said that the government was committed to promotion of higher education in the country which was reflected from the higher number of projects approved in this sector in last three years. He particularly mentioned about establishment of School of Professional Development at Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University, Quetta, and said that the number of girl students increased even after the terrorist act at the university some three years back. He also paid tribute to 14 girls who embraced martyrdom in this tragic incident.
In agriculture and food sector, the CDWP approved nutrition sensitive agriculture project phase-I at the cost of Rs 582 million. In mass media section, the meeting approved China-Pakistan friendly exchange programme at the cost of Rs 100 million. The forum also approved position paper of Center for Rural Economy at the cost of Rs 1.1 billion.
