ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 12 projects for various sectors worth over Rs312 billion.
The meeting presided over by Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin was put up Dualization of Lilla Interchange (M-2) via Pind-Dadan Khan to Jhelum including Bypass (02 number) 128 km, District Jhelum for approval at the total rationalised cost of Rs12.760 billion.
The meeting approved the summary. The meeting was told that the scope of work includes construction of two bypasses, bridges over nullahs, culverts and retaining/breast/toe walls.
The project will be completed in three years. The ECNEC directed that the government of Punjab will fund the land acquisition cost, horticulture charges and Provincial Revenue Authority Tax charges through its own resources.
The ECNEC also approved reconstruction of Turbat-Mand Road from M-8 till Iranian Border-Radeeq, length-115 km project at the total rationalised cost of Rs10.461 billion. The project is expected to be completed in two years by Communication Department, Balochistan (as a part of South Balochistan Package).
The project starts from Gwadar-Ratodero Motorway to Kurumb (Iranian border) in Balochistan province. The meeting also approved construction of Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran Road, District Panjgur/Awaran, 228 km project at the rationalised cost of Rs14.68 billion. The project was approved after deleting the security cost, land acquisition cost, reduction of design consultancy charges from 1.6 percent to one percent excess in quantities. The government of Balochistan will make security arrangements for the project and acquire land through its own resources.
The release of the PSDP funds for the project will be conditional to government of Balochistan allocating a minimum road maintenance budget of Rs5 billion for fiscal year 2021-22 and onwards for its provincial highway network. The ECNEC considered and approved Inter-Provincial Connectivity Economic Corridor through Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK (Thallichi GB-Shounter AJK), widening and rehabilitation of Astore Valley Road, package at the rationalised cost of Rs19.195 billion. The Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan is the sponsoring agency of the project, which is expected to be completed in three years. Dualization of Khuzdar-Kuchlak Section of National Highway (N-25), 330.52 km project was approved at PC-I cost of Rs81.582 billion.
The project will be constructed through districts Khuzdar, Surab, Kalat, Mustang, Quetta, and Kuchlak, Balochistan. The National Highways Authority (NHA) will be the executing agency.
The meeting also approved construction of Shandoor-Gilgit Road, 216 km project at the PC-I cost of Rs49.946 billion. The project road is located in Gilgit-Baltistan and will be executed by the NHA.
The ECNEC approved Sindh Early Learning Enhancement through Classroom Transformation Project at the estimated cost of Rs27.162 billion.
The Sindh School Education and Literacy Department will sponsor the project, which will benefit 12 districts of Sindh province.
The project is expected to be completed in five years by April 2026. Gish Kaur Storage Dam, Sami Kallag, District Kech Project was approved at the total cost of Rs11.789 billion.
The dam will have the storage capacity of 0.04580 million acre feet (MAF) and will provide irrigation facility to 13,800 acres of command area. The project is expected to complete by 2025.
The construction of Panjgoor Storage Dam Project was also approved at the total cost of Rs12.870 billion. The Ministry of Water Resources will sponsor the project which is located on Rakhshan River. The meeting was informed that the Awaran Dam Project was approved at the total cost of Rs14.86 billion.
The project will be sponsored by the Ministry of Water Resources; Irrigation Department, Government of Balochistan will execute the project. The establishment of University of Applied Engineering and Emerging Technologies (UAEET), Sialkot, Punjab was approved at the total cost of Rs16.648 billion and will be financed through ADP 2021-22 of the Government of Punjab. The establishment of IT Park, Karachi, was also approved by the ECNEC at the total cost of Rs31.199 billion.
The project will be executed by the Pakistan Software Export Board. The ECNEC also approved, in principle, Pak University of Engineering and Emerging Technologies (PUEET) Phase-I at the total cost of Rs23.551 billion.
The ECNEC directed that the cost of the project may be further rationalised in three months and the ECNEC should be informed on the same.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021