ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has cleared six development projects at the cost of Rs139 billion.
The CDWP met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal in the chair at P-Block Secretariat on Friday.
The meeting was attended by the secretary, the additional secretary, the chief economist, and members of the Planning Commission.
The CDWP cleared the Emergency Flood Assistance Project (EFAP) in Balochistan - OFWM component with the cost of Rs3.83 billion, Sindh Flood Emergency Reconstruction Project at the cost of Rs48 billion, Reconstruction Rehabilitation of Irrigation, Drainage System and Flood Protection works in KP at the cost of Rs15billion, Improving Workforce Readiness in Punjab Project (IWRPP) at the cost of Rs24 billion.
The forum recommended a project of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of N-5 from Moro to Ranipur 318 – 404km (NBC/SBC) and 32x damaged bridges under ADB Flood Emergency Loan at the cost of Rs36.21 billion to the ECNEC. The restoration of disrupted communication infrastructure is critically important for accessibility to the worst-hit areas, therefore, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has graciously offered to finance the urgently required reconstruction of damaged bridges and Moro–Ranipur section of N-5 through an emergency loan of US$ 150m.
The bridge structures shall be reconstructed on build back better concept to make the communication infrastructure safe, climate-resilient and sustainable in future. The strategy for rehabilitation/reconstruction of N-5 (Moro–Ranipur) is primarily based on the Chinese design and construction methodology applied on Hala–Moro section of N-5 in 2016 which has proven resilient and sustained the prevailing traffic load and adverse weather conditions.
The CWDP also approved the Improving Workforce Readiness in Punjab Project (IWRPP) sponsored by the ADB and the Planning and Development Department (P&D) Board, Government of Punjab at the cost of Rs24 billion. The project aims at strengthening of the Industry-TVET (Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority) linkage by establishing Centers of Excellence pertaining to seven priority sectors in 20 TVET institutes of Punjab. The key project activities are the establishment of center of excellences in 20 TVET institutes of Punjab, establishment of four new and strengthening of four existing Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), training programs in priority and forward-looking skills areas with a focus on entrepreneurship and work-based training and Improved TVET Sector Institutional Framework through Punjab Skills Development Authority (PSDA) and Punjab Skills Testing Agency (PSTA) for TVET policy research and TVET Management Information System (MIS) and Labor Market Information System (LMIS).
The minister directed the concerned stakeholders to establish Vocational Training Institute (VTIs) in every underdeveloped area by preferring local people. He observed that the VTIs are the most productive element and also establish an independent board for 20 Centers of Excellence.
The forum also recommended Reconstruction Rehabilitation of Irrigation, Drainage System and Flood Protection works in the KP at the cost of Rs15 billion to the ECNEC. The KP government is the sponsoring agency of the project. Pakistan has suffered from 23 major floods between 1950 and 2020 almost one flood every three years. These floods have led to the loss of 8,887 persons, damaged or destroyed 109,822 villages, and caused an economic loss estimated at $19 billion. The devastating floods of 2022 have wreaked havoc in the country damaging about 2,815 numbers of irrigation, drainage and flood protection infrastructure, partially or fully.
The CDWP also recommended Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Flood Affected Irrigation Infrastructure at Balochistan to the ECNEC at the cost of Rs12.5 billion of which 88 per cent will be provided by the ADB as a soft loan while the remaining 12 per cent by the Government of Balochistan. The main purpose of the project is to reconstruct and rehabilitate the flood-affected irrigation infrastructure to ensure flood safety in future and to provide the irrigation water supply to the command area of the damaged structures across the whole of Balochistan province. A total of 82,070 acres of command area will be irrigated after the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the sub-projects, while a total of 540,889 people will benefit.
The forum has approved EFAP-OFWM component with the cost of Rs3.828 billion. The overarching objective of the project is to revive rural agro-based economy of the flood-affected population in the province through the restoration of flood affected On Farm Water Management (OFWM) infrastructure.
The project objective will contribute to revive farm-level cultivation and productivity, ensuring food security, restoring farm returns, uplifting economic well-being of small farmers, particularly smallholders, sharecroppers and tenants, and improving the agricultural economy. This restoration includes following four components which include Rehabilitation and Repair of Watercourses, Restoration of Bandats and Levelling of Agricultural Land, Replacement of Dug Wells, Reconstruction of Water Storage Tanks and Restoration of High Efficiency Irrigation Systems (HEIS).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022