ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved different infrastructure and water projects worth over Rs280.53 billion.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting of the Ecnec.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, SAPM on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Senator Nisar Khuhro, federal secretaries and other senior officers from federal ministries and provincial departments participated in the meeting.
ECNEC approves four projects worth Rs120bn
The ECNEC considered and approved a project of Ministry of Water Resources titled, “Umbrella PC-I of the Flood Protection Sector Project-III (FPSP-II)” at the updated cost of Rs194,625.00 million including FEC of Rs10,862.94 million. The project is to be executed in all four provinces and GB and AJK as well.
The project is to be financed through federal components, provincial components, and donor financing. The main object of the project is the improvement of country-wide comprehensive flood management approaches on integrated and innovative basis by implementation of structural as well as non- structural interventions.
The ECNEC also considered and approved another project of Ministry of Water Resources to be executed by Irrigation Department Government of Sindh titled, “Makhi Farash Link Canal Project (Chotiari Phase-II)” for Water Supply to Thar Coal in districts Sanghar and Umerkot at the raised cost of Rs12,087.489 million. The project has been prepared to carry 200 cusecs canal water for electricity generation and agro-industrial growth.
Another project of Ministry of Water Resources titled, “Kachhi Canal Project Restoration of Flood Damages 2022” was also considered and approved by the Ecnec at a cost of Rs8,280.647 million to be executed in Punjab districts of Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, and Rajanpur by Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda). The project is related to the issue of water scarcity and protection of infrastructure from onslaught of floods.
The Ecnec also considered and discussed a project of Government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa titled as “New Balakot City Development Project” and directed the concerned stakeholders, ie, KP government, Ministry of Planning and Development and the ERRA to reexamine and remove technical and financial discrepancies in the project.
The Ecnec further considered and approved a project titled, “National Multi-sectoral Nutrition Program to Reduce Stunting and other forms of Malnutrition” to be executed in 36 high burden districts of the country. The project is to be financed by federal government and through foreign aid under IsDB Country Engagement Framework for Pakistan 2023-25. The overall goal of the project is to significantly reduce malnutrition induced stunting in Pakistani children in the next three years.
The Ecnec considered and approved the project titled, “Extension/Construction of 36kms Sindh Coastal Highway” at a cost of Rs16,204.303 million. The project is to be executed by Government of Sindh. The project is to be funded through Federal PSDP.
The Ecnec also considered and approved a project of Ministry of Communications titled, “Construction of Lahore-Sialkot Motorway (LSM) link Highway (04-Lane) Connecting LSM to Narang Mandi and Narowal (73-kilometer Approximately)” at the revised rationalised cost of Rs36,814.347 million without FEC on 50:50 cost sharing basis by the federal and provincial governments. The project is to be executed in districts Narowal and Sheikhupura, Punjab Province by National Highways Authority (NHA).
A project of the government of Sindh titled, “Improvement of Road from Sanghar to National Highway (N-5), at Point Rohri via Mundh Jamrao and Salehput (221-kilometer)” was considered and approved at the updated rationalised cost of Rs12,521.799 million without FEC on 50:50 cost sharing basis between the federal government and the Government of Sindh. The project is to be executed in District Sanghar.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023