ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved Rs54.490 million for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration for execution of agriculture sector projects.

The ECC meeting was submitted by the Ministry of Interior that agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy contributing around 19 percent to the GDP.

In order to enhance the potential of the agriculture sector, some important projects were identified in 2019 as part of the Prime Minister’s Initiative on Agriculture to be executed throughout the country.

The meeting was further informed that the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) is coordinating/ supervising and financing the programme at the national level. The umbrella PC-Is of the project include ICT components to be executed by the ICT Administration.

The Ministry of NFS&R has surrendered an amount of Rs54.490 million from their development expenditure in favour of the ICT component of the projects in the current fiscal year 2023-24 for the provision of technical supplementary grant to the ICT Administration in order to execute the projects included;(i) productivity enhancement of wheat project approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in 2019 whose amount of Rs5 million was surrendered; (ii) National Programme for Enhancing Command Area in Barani Areas of Pakistan, also approved by the ECNEC in 2019 and its amount of Rs22.050 million was surrendered as well as; (iii) ECNEC approved project of National Programme for Improvement of water courses in Pakistan Phase-11 with Rs27.440 million surrendered amount.

The Finance Division has conveyed to the Ministry of Interior that is has no objection as a TSG of Rs54.490 million proposed by it (Interior Ministry) against the surrendered amount by the Ministry of MNF&SR from its development expenditure.

The Interior Ministry added that the Finance Division has endorsed submission of TSG to the ECC of the Cabinet, therefore, approval of the ECC is solicited to transfer Rs54.490 million surrendered by MNFS&R for the current fiscal year development expenditure of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to the development expenditure of Interior Division through a technical supplementary grant.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024