ISLAMABAD; A meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has approved seven development projects of over Rs410 billion, including the construction of Hyderabad–Sukkur Motorway on a Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis with a revised cost of Rs308.194 billion.
The meeting of the Ecnec presided over by the Minister for Finance, Miftah Ismail, on Wednesday has taken up various proposals for development projects and gave approval to two projects for Karachi city – restoration and revamping of Orangi Nullah at a revised cost of Rs15,007.25 million in Orangi Town, Karachi West district, and restoration and revamping of Gujjar Nullah at a revised cost of Rs14,854.40 million in Karachi Central district respectively. Projects are being sponsored by the NDMA and are to be completed in 21 months.
The ECNEC also approved the construction of Hyderabad–Sukkur Motorway on a BOT basis with revised cost of Rs308,194 million, with the government share of Rs10.3 billion (Rs9,500 million as capital viability gap fund (VGF), Rs300 million as the NHA establishment charges, and Rs500 million as contingencies).
The meeting was informed that the project would be executed by the NHA –construction of 306 kms long, six-lane wide, divided fenced between Hyderabad and Sukkur. The meeting gave approval of the project subject to fulfillment of all codal formalities and approval of legislation from the National Assembly.
CDWP clears 19 uplift projects, recommends six to ECNEC
The meeting also considered and approved the construction of Lahore-Sialkot Motorway (LSM) link Highway (04-Lane) connecting LSM to Narang Mandi and Kartarpur Narowal including Narowal Eastern bypass at a revised rationalized cost of Rs17,379.949 million.
The revised project envisages rehabilitation, dualisation and construction of 73-kms long 04-lane dual carriageway, connecting Kartarpur with Lahore-Sialkot Motorway and Nankana. The project is to be completed in three years.
The Ecnec also discussed and approved Punjab Urban Lane Systems Enhancement project (PULSE) at a cost of Rs25,500 million with foreign exchange component (FEC) of Rs1,378.756 million. The project would be executed by the Board of Revenue (BOR) through Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to develop cadastral mapping including digital land records of urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of entire Punjab. The project will be carried out through 100 percent loan by the World Bank in 60 months period.
The meeting also considered and approved project on the construction of Northern section of Ring Road (missing link), from Warsak road to Nasir Bagh road with a cost of Rs16,489.198 million and fully funded and executed by the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The project envisages the construction of 60-lane with a total length of 8.7kms to be completed in three years.
The Ecnec further observed that projects fully funded by provinces with no foreign funding may be exempted from consideration by the CDWP and the Ecnec.
The Ecnec discussed and approved revised project on the construction of Mangi Dam in Baluchistan at a cost of Rs13,247.893 million located about 60 kms east of Quetta city on Khost River.
The federal government will bear only 50 per cent cost of original approved PC-I and an increase in cost due to the upgradation of power supply grid station and transmission line. Any other increase in cost will be borne by the province from its resources.
The 61 m high concrete gravity dam has a gross reservoir capacity of 36.4 MCM and annual release of 13.4 MCM. The main objective of the project is to reduce the existing shortfall in the water demand that is being faced by Quetta city. The proposed Mangi dam will enable a supply of 8.1 mgd to Quetta city.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022