National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Friday recommended over a dozen schemes worth Rs 17.5 billion for Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2020-21. Presided over by Syed Amin-ul-Haq, the committee was apprised that the Cabinet Division had demanded Rs 18.231 billion for 15 projects to be carried out in the next financial year.

Giving the break-up of the projects, the Secretary Cabinet Division stated that allocation had been demanded for two projects of Cabinet Division's 6-Aviation Squadron, one project of Establishment of 200 bed Gynecology Hospital in Rawalpindi and 11 projects of infrastructure development in Karachi and Sindh.

The committee was not satisfied with the justification submitted by the Managing Director, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) in respect of PSDP demand for facilitation of Tourism in Islamabad project and construction of Aiwan-e-Sayahat, therefore, it directed for a comprehensive briefing on two projects of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation in its next meeting.

The committee was informed that Green Line BRTS Karachi will be completed by December 31, 2020. For the project, an amount of Rs 3.848 billion has been sought for the year 2020-21. For Green Line BRTS operations an amount of Rs 4.956 billion has been estimated for 2020-21. The committee was further informed that an amount of Rs 1.5 billion has been saved.

The committee was briefed that presence of big trees on M A Jinnah Road and legal hitches are hindering the project.

Chairman Standing Committee who hails from Karachi said that both the federal and provincial governments must join hands to resolve the problems of Karachiites.

The committee was further informed that re-construction of MangoPir and Nishtar Road will be completed by June 2021.

The committee directed for completion of the projects within their stipulated timelines. The committee observed that in absence of proper planning and assessment of projects, the cost of projects was revised resulting in cost escalation and delays. The committee also directed for a briefing by Cabinet Division on construction of flyover at Jinnah Avenue, M-9, Karachi in its next meeting. The committee observed that proper planning and feasibility has not been carried out.

The Committee recommended 12 projects of Cabinet Division worth Rs 17.283 billion whereas decision on the rest pf the three projects would be taken in the next meeting.

The committee while scrutinizing the PSDP proposals of Establishment Division approved the projects which mainly relate to upgradation and maintenance of Civil Services Academy Lahore, National School of Public Policy Lahore, National Centre for Rural Development Islamabad, Pakistan Academy of Rural Development Peshawar, Construction of multipurpose Community Centre at Pakistan Mint Colony Lahore and provision of generator at National Institute of Management Karachi.

The committee pended briefing on Printing Corporation of Pakistan for its next meeting. The committee also directed Establishment Division to pursue the issue of two private members bills regarding constitutional amendments with Cabinet Division which were pending for discussion before the Cabinet Committee on Disposal of Legislative Cases.

The meeting was attended by Ali Muhammad Khan, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Saleem Rehman, Ali Nawaz Awan, Muhammad Aslam Khan, Uzma Riaz, Shahnaz Saleem Malik, Seema Mohiuddin Jameeli, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur, Syed Mehmood Shah, Mohsin Dawar, Secretary Establishment, Special Secretary Cabinet and other officers of concerned departments.