ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved seven development projects at the cost of Rs22.16 billion. The CDWP met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal in the chair at P-Block Secretariat Islamabad on Friday.
It was attended by the secretary Planning Ministry, the chief economist, members Planning Commission, and representatives from the various ministries and divisions.
The forum considered seven projects related to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, and the HEC.
The CDWP approved Balochistan Urgent Response for Food Security Project at the cost of Rs1.1 billion, Maintenance Dredging of the Navigation Channel of Gwadar Port at the cost of Rs4.67 billion, Social Sector Accelerator (SSA) for Health, Nutrition, Education, Youth and Gender, National Priority Initiatives (2nd revised) at the cost of Rs4.825 billion, Provision of Academic and Research Facilities and Girls Hostel at Quaid-e-Azam University at the cost of Rs3.86 billion, Establishment of Partnership between Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and GOP to address grand challenges in health sector at the cost of Rs220 million, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Hospital at Tarlai, Islamabad, at the cost of Rs2.5 billion and Sanitary Sewerage System with Treatment Plant in Gilgit city at the cost of Rs4.989 billion.
CDWP clears six development projects worth Rs139bn
The CDWP approved SSA for Health, Nutrition, Education, Youth and Gender (HNEYG), National Priority Initiatives (2nd Revision) at the cost of Rs4.828 billion. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives is the sponsoring agency of the project.
To address this key issue, the Ministry of Planning and Development proposed a one-year “Prime Minister Youth Internship Program” for fresh graduates in Pakistan. Under the programme, the ministry will award paid internships to all eligible applicants that qualify for the programme through the proposed selection criterion for a period of six months. Following their selection, the ministry will facilitate the placement of interns on positions relevant to their skills and job function in host organisations spanning across the public, private, and development sectors.
Furthermore, the interns will receive a stipend of Rs25,000/ month. A total of 30,000 internships will be awarded through the one-year programme. Upon the successful completion of their internship, interns will be awarded an internship certificate by their host organisation and by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.
The six-month internship programme will include three online mentorship sessions culminating in an individual career development plan, one online training course on soft skills, one online training course on industry-relevant technical skills, one two-day voluntary activity, recurring monthly work plans and monthly progress reports, and one final internship report along with internship outputs.
The forum approved Balochistan Urgent Response for Food Security Project at the cost of Rs1.1 billion. The Ministry of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs is the sponsoring agency of the project. The project envisages the revival of agriculture production in the severely flood-affected districts of the Nasirabad Division which is considered as the granary of the province.
The project will support the provision of rice seeds for increased productivity to 60,000 farm households in the target districts.
Each beneficiary farmer will receive 40 kilogrammes of rice seed which will be sufficient for cultivating rice on 2 to 2.5 acres (0.8 to 1.0 hectare) of land.
Furthermore, the project will provide climate adaptive (resilient) certified rice seed such as short duration varieties having tolerance to abiotic drought, heat and biotic disease-free stress to ensure resilience. The project will provide small farming toolkits for agricultural activities and gumshoes for safer rice transplanting for at least 60,000 women.
Maintenance Dredging of the Navigational Channel of Gwadar Port at the cost of Rs4.669 billion was also approved by the forum. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs is the sponsoring agency of the project. The revised project envisages, Maintenance Dredging of 4.70-kilometer long Navigational Channel, basin and berthing area of Gwadar Port.
Its Internal Navigational Channel and Turning Basin design depth is 13.8-meter for safe navigation of deep draft vessels and the berthing area and outer channel are dredged to 14.5-meter to permit safe berthing and sufficient clearance from bottom in low tides. The channel is designed for navigation of 50,000 DWT ships during all weather.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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