ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), held under the Chairmanship of Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar at the Prime Minister’s Office, has approved 10 projects amounting to Rs51791.435 million.
Three projects i.e. 40 MW Dowarian Hydro Power Project, 35 MW Nogdar Hydro power Project and Hassan Abdal – Havelian – Mansehra expressway project were withdrawn.
The ECNEC, which had earlier constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal to review the Kachi Canal Project, was informed that the committee had decided to visit the site to ascertain the progress/activity. The field visit report would be submitted to ECNEC accordingly.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Industries and Production Murtaza Jatoi, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunications Anusha Rehman Ahmed Khan, representatives of Planning and Development of Government of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and senior officials of federal and provincial governments.
Three projects located in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa amounting to Rs7160.16 million, one project amounting to Rs2094.747 million located in Sindh, one project amounting to Rs4795.80 million located in Balochistan, two projects amounting to Rs10116.288 million in Punjab and three Federal Projects amounting to Rs27684.260 million were approved by the ECNEC in its meeting.
The project titled reconstruction of Nawabshah-Sanghar Road 61km was approved by the ECNEC with the condition that if the project would not attract funds from donors/agencies the entire cost would be borne by the Government of Sindh. The project envisages reconstruction of existing 61km road along with reconstruction improvement of existing culverts and bridges to improve the existing road width ranging 6-7.3m to 7.3m with 2.5m wide treaded shoulders on both sides.
The project Construction/Up-gradation of Dirgi Shabozai (N-70) to Taunsa Sharif was approved on the condition that Balochistan Government would allocate Rs250 million in its current budget for 2013-2014 while the Federal Government would include its share in the budget 2014-15. The project had been lingering for the past four year and would reduce the distance between Punjab and Balochistan by 90 kilometers.
The project titled Remedial Measures to Control Waterlogging due to Muzaffargarh & TP Link canals was approved in principle and the Punjab Government was asked to arrange funding from donors. This project would reclaim 33800 areas of land out of the command area of 967,000 acres.
The project for Upgradation of Security Infrastructure/Equipment at major ports was approved and would be completed through funding provided by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Grant in Aid.
The ECNEC also approved two projects of Railways one for procurement of 50 Diesel Electric Locomotives and the other pertaining to Rehabilitation of 30 Diesel Electric Locomotives. The ECNEC directed that Railways should follow PPRA rules, ensure transparency and observe all codal formalities in their projects.
The ECNEC approved the following projects: Rehabilitation of 27 Nos.HGMU-30 Diesel Electric Locomotives (Revised), Procurement of 50 (25.Nos3,000 H.P & 25 Nos.2,000 H.P) Diesel Electric Locomotives – Revised, Kohistan Area Development Project (Revised), Construction of Bridge Over River at Mal Fatyana District Toba Tek Singh (Revised), Reconstruction of Nawabshah-Sanghar Road (61km), Construction/Upgradation of Dirgi Shabozai (N-70) to Taunsa Sharif (N-55) Road (175km), Upgradation of Security Infrastructure/Equipment at major airports in Pakistan, Remedial Measures to Control Waterlogging due to Muzaffargarh & T.P. Link Canals, Upgradation and Remodeling of Ring Road (Southern Section) Pesfhawar – Revised and Lining of Irrigation Channels in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Phase-I (Revised).
