Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved six projects worth Rs 283 billion, including Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG Terminal and Pipeline Project (GNP), construction of 100 small dams in Balochistan- package 3, and procurement of 58 diesel electric locomotives (2nd revised) among others.

ECNEC, the highest economic forum, met under the leadership of Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Friday at the Prime Minister’s Office. The forum approved the project of Balochistan Irrigation Department, allowing construction of 100 small dams in the province- package 3 (20 dams) at a rationalised cost of Rs 7,829.874 million.

The project would be completed in three years and would greatly benefit Balochistan in harnessing the flood flows, which would help supply about 175,500 acre-feet of conserved flood water for direct irrigation and drinking purposes, besides benefiting about 58,500 acres of fertile cultivable land. It would save the land from flood damages and provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to the population. The construction of these dams would also promote tourism and aquaculture production in the province.

The chair directed the Ministry of Planning to set up a monitoring committee and ensure that the project was completed with the stipulated time of three years. The said committee would also include a member from the Ministry of Water and Power to monitor the implementation of the project.

The Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project (SPPAP) was also approved by ECNEC at a total revised cost of Rs 4,657.957 million. The project would help improve the standard of living in four less developed districts of Punjab including Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur. International fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) has helped in the financing of the project through a soft loan of $40.13 million. The project would help reduce poverty in the areas of southern Punjab by lending assistance in generating income, increasing agricultural productivity, improving livelihood opportunities, providing vocational training, especially to women, and building physical infrastructure to improve the standard of living. The project would be completed by 2017.

Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG Terminal and Pipeline Project (GNP) was approved at a rationalised cost of Rs 203,314.08 million with Rs 135,128.46 million as FEC. The project was expected to complete in two years (2016-2018). The key objective of this project was to overcome the shortage of natural gas supply by importing LNG at Gwadar. The scope of the project extends to construction of 700km pipeline having diameter of 42 inches from Gwadar to Nawabshah. EAD has agreed to discuss the financing arrangements for this project with EXIM Bank of China.

For transport and communication sector, the Ministry of Railways was allowed procurement of 58 diesel electric locomotives (2nd revised) at a re-revised cost of Rs 16,300 million with FEC of Rs 11,755.435 million. The procurement would be completed by December this year. The proposed locos would replace 50 over-aged locomotives and would be used to haul freight and passenger services along with high capacity wagons fitted with air brakes and roller bearing. With the completion of the project, capacity of Pakistan Railways would improve manifold, it was informed.

The 106MW Golan Gol Hydropower Project revised for District Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was approved at an updated cost of Rs 29, 077.173 million with FEC of Rs 10,679.885 million. The project having an installed capacity of 106MW would generate an annual energy of about 436GWh. The project would be connected to the national grid with a 198km transmission line, which included 132kv transmission line from Golan Gol to Timurgarha passing over Lowari Pass (145km) and 132kv single circuit line from Taimurgarh to Chakdara (53 km).

The project of Peshawar Electric Supply Company for the construction of 7th secondary transmission line and grid stations was also approved at a rationalised cost of Rs 19,989.114 million with FEC of Rs 1,920.574 million. The project would complete in five years (2021) and would benefit the entire province of KP.