Govt decides to expedite process of sending PWD projects to provinces

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has decided to expedite the process of transferring ongoing development projects under the dissolved Public Works Department (PWD) to the provincial governments.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal at P-Block of the ministry’s secretariat on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by the secretary of planning and senior officials from various provinces. The meeting decided that the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) projects would be transferred to the provincial governments as soon as possible so that work on these projects could continue without any hindrance.

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To expedite the transfer to the provinces, they will be divided according to districts and the deputy commissioner in each district will be made the focal person who, along with the PWD and the relevant departments, will complete all agreements randomly within four to five days. No Objection Certificates (NOCs) will be obtained from the contractors stating that they have no objection to the change of sponsor agency.

Planning Minister Iqbal said that only the projects are being transferred to the provinces but the funding allocated to these projects under the PSDP will continue. He directed all provinces to inform within a week, the names of the ministries to which these ongoing projects will be transferred.

The ongoing PWD projects in the federal capital will also be transferred to the CDA and the relevant ministries. He clarified that the ongoing projects under the PWD are not being terminated but are merely being transferred to different institutions.

Iqbal appreciated that Balochistan has completed its work in this regard first and the remaining provinces should also provide complete details within a week. He said that the purpose of this committee was to resolve the difficulties faced according to the law.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024