ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has cleared as many as 10 development projects worth Rs87.17 billion.
The CDWP met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal in the chair at P-Block Secretariat on Monday. 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 10 projects related to the Ministry of Housing and Works, the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, the Ministry of Communication, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
The CDWP has cleared the Reconstruction of Turbat-Mand Road from M-8 till Iranian Border-Radeeq at the cost of Rs20,992.875million, Construction of Pun Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran Road, District Awaran at the cost of Rs29,638.353miilion, Reconstruction of Mangopir at the cost of Rs3190.432million, Completion of Niheng Bridge at Rodbun, District Kech at the cost of Rs673.688million, 26MW Shagharthang Hydropower Project at the cost of Rs17,972.902million, Strengthening Institution for Refugee’s Administration (SIRA) at the cost of Rs2,043.000million, Establishment of Cancer Hospital in ICT at the cost of Rs3,406.169m, Gwadar Safe City Project (Phase-1) at the cost of Rs4,966.905m, Development of Ziarat Town at the cost of Rs5,558.545m, and Establishment of National Forensic Science Laboratory at the cost of Rs1978.422million.
The forum has recommended the Reconstruction of Turbat-Mand Road from M-8 till Iranian Border-Radeeq at the cost of Rs20,992.875 million to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). The revised project envisages completion of 410-meter long and 8.2-meter wide two-lane Niheng Bridge at Rodbun, District Kech, Balochistan Province. The start point of the project shoots from the existing Nehang Bridge, the South side embankment of which has been washed away due to floods.
The forum also recommended the Construction of Pun Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran Road, District Awaran at the cost of Rs29,638.353 million to the ECNEC. The revised project envisages, the construction of 228kilometres long and 7.3-meter wide (3.65-meter wide each) asphaltic carriageway, starts from Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran, District Panjgur and Awaran, in the Southern Balochistan Region. The project road will connect Gichak with Panjgur, as well as with Karachi via Bela-Hoshab Road. Similarly, the reconstruction of Mangopir at the cost of Rs3190.432m was also cleared by the forum.
The CDWP also approved a project Strengthening Institutions for Refugee’s Administration SIRA at the cost of Rs2043m. The Ministry of States and Frontier Regions is mandated to deal with the issues related to Afghan refugees. The Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CCAR) being an attached department of the Ministry of SAFRON is the operational arm to manage Afghan refugees. CCAR and its Provincial Afghan Commissionerate’s offices are responsible for advising/providing inputs on policy matters and implementing the policies of the Ministry of SAFRON on Afghan refugees’ issues. It is estimated that nearly three million Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan i.e. 1.436 million Afghans with Proof of Registration Cards (POR) for their identity; in addition to approximately: 840,000 Afghan Citizen Card holders, and an estimated 700,000 undocumented Afghan living in Pakistan.
The Ministry of SAFRON with the technical assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has registered these Afghan refugees. The Government of Pakistan has allowed UNHCR to conduct refugee status determination (RSD). Individuals recognised as refugees at the outcome of the UNHCR’s RSD process and members of their family are issued with the UNHCR Refugee Identity cards, known as Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
The CDWP also recommenced 26MW Shagharthang Hydropower Project, Skardu at the cost of 17,972.902million to the ECNEC. The Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan is the sponsoring agency of the project. The main objective of the project is to exploit the potential of hydropower available in the middle stretch of Kachura Lungma to generate 26 MW output, which will augment power to the existing electricity network of the area to resolve power shortage to the consumers of load centres in Skardu valley.
The CDWP also approved the Establishment of Cancer Hospital in ICT (revised) at the cost of Rs3,406.169 million. The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination is the sponsoring agency of the project. This project envisages the establishment of a 200 bedded state-of-the-art hospital for indoor admission of various types of cancer patients. The division of the beds includes 75 beds for adult oncology, 25 beds for women oncology, 25 beds for ICU, 30 beds for private, and 20 beds for emergencies.
Similarly, the forum approved Gwadar Safe City Project (Phase-1) at the cost of Rs4,966.905m. The Government of Balochistan is the sponsoring agency. This project envisages to provide a safer city for the residents of Gwadar particularly, at the identified strategic locations and also help the law enforcement agencies in detecting crime and investigating crime by collecting evidence. Gwadar is relatively an unsafe city, with many Western governments advising their citizens "against travelling to the city”. The current infrastructure is insufficient to cater to the security needs of Gwadar city. Gwadar safe city has been developed precisely to help all government stakeholders including city administration, Gwadar police and other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to mitigate the security and communication challenges. The establishment of the National Forensic Science Laboratory at the cost of Rs1978.422 million was also approved by the forum. The Ministry of Interior is the sponsoring agency of the project. The laboratory will be established in the ICT.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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