Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Tuesday approved 15 projects worth of Rs 172.1 billion, including seven projects worth Rs 162.9 billion.

Major projects included the Kachi Canal Project, dualization of the old Bannu Road and Indus Highway (N-55), and integration of health services delivery with special focus on nutrition programmes.

In addition, CDWP approved three position papers which include Integrated Transport Infrastructure Planning and Management Unit, Improving Human Development Indicators in Pakistan and the establishment of the Chashma Nuclear Power Project worth Rs 233.8 billion was referred to ECNEC.

The meeting of CDWP was chaired by Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal.

The CDWP referred Kachi Canal Project, River Indus at Taunsa barrage worth Rs 80.3 billion to ECNEC.

Another significant project which was referred to ECNEC is the dualization and improvement of the Old Bannu Road worth Rs 17.9 billion.

The project envisages dualization and improvement of two existing sections of 2 lanes of the old Bannu road measuring 83 km from Gaandi Chowk to Sarai Naurang (8 km) and Domail to Krapa on N-55 (75 km).

The project will help enhance the mobility for the underdeveloped areas of District Bannu and play a vital role for development of the deprived population.

The CDWP also recommended the dualization and improvement of Indus Highway (N-55) Sarai Gambila to Kohat at a cost of Rs 30.1 billion to ECNEC.

The project aims to enhance the mobility of the underdeveloped area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and play a vital role for the development of the deprived population.

In the agriculture and food sector, CDWP approved risk-based control of foot and mouth disease in Pakistan worth Rs 763 million.

In the higher education sector, CDWP approved and referred establishment of Pak-Korea hi-tech agriculture innovation center/technology park, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad worth Rs 3 billion with FEC 129 million.

In addition, CDWP also approved IT industrial innovation, research centre of Islamia College University Peshawar of worth Rs 1.5 billion and centre for mathematical sciences at PIEAS worth 819 million.

The CDWP also approved Balochistan education support project worth Rs 1.3 billion. Moreover, Balochistan education project worth Rs 3.5 billion has been referred to ECNEC.

In the health sector, CDWP referred two projects to ECNEC worth Rs 21.7 billion which includes integration of health services delivery with special focus on MNCH, LHW and nutrition programs worth Rs 14 billion and the national health programme for family planning and primary health care AJK worth Rs 7.8 billion. The CDWP also approved 26 MW Shagharthang Hydropower Project, District Skardu worth Rs 9.1 billion.