ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Tuesday cleared three development projects at the cost of Rs76.5 billion.

The CDWP met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal via Zoom. The meeting was attended by the secretary Planning Ministry, Chief Economist, Members Planning Commission and representatives from the various ministries and divisions. The forum considered three projects related to the Ministry of Communication and provincial projects.

The forum referred Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Accessibility Project at the cost of Rs69.44 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Executive Council while approved the Construction of 6-lane Overhead Bridge at Imamia Colony Railway Crossing Shahara at the cost of Rs3.958 billion and Construction and Sindh Health Support Programme at the cost of Rs3.098 billion.

The construction of 6-lane Overhead Bridge at Imamia Colony Railway Crossing Shahara at the cost of Rs3.958 billion was approved by the CDWP with the subject that National Highways Authority (NHA) will charge toll tax after the construction.

The Ministry of Communication is the sponsoring agency of the project. The revised project envisages the construction of a 6-lane Railway overhead bridge measuring 613m in length with approach ramps on either side on National Highway N-5 at Imamia Colony Railway crossing at Shahdara. The proposed overhead bridge will facilitate free flow of traffic on N-5. The rail track between Lahore and Faisalabad intercepts N-5 dual carriageway at Imamia Colony at 1.5km north of Shahdara railway.

The forum also approved the Construction and Sindh Health Support Programme at the cost of Rs3.098 billion. The provincial government of Sindh is the sponsoring agency of the project. The PC-I envisages localizing the National UHC Benefit Package, the province of Sindh took the lead to become the first province in Pakistan by developing the provincial EPHS.

Sindh EPHS for UHC BP had prioritized a total of 131 interventions as District EPHS that included 94 interventions as an immediate priority, out of which 21 were at the Community level, 37 at the PHC facility level, and 36 at the First Level Hospital (FLH) - The interventions will lead to improved health with resilient health infrastructure by addressing accessibility, equity, responsiveness, social and financial risk protection, and improved efficiency.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023