12 projects referred to Ecnec for approval

ISLAMABAD: The first meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) considered 27 development projects of over Rs1 trillion for 2009-10, including a water sector project for building 32 small- and medium-size dams — eight in each province — to overcome the chronic shortage of power and irrigation water.

Of these, 25 are new projects, and work on two others is currently under way.

Twelve of the projects were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval.

The CDWP, which is headed by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali, also approved a number of water sector projects.

The cost of these projects includes a foreign aid component of Rs359.9 billion.

Seven of the approved dams will be built in Punjab at a cost of Rs5.7 billion, five in Sindh (Rs21.6 billion), four in the NWFP (Rs3.4 billion) and six in Balochistan (Rs22.3 billion).

The provincial governments will meet the cost of land and also develop command areas.

A special programme announced by the president, costing Rs350 million, for optimal utilisation of overseas Pakistanis and the setting up of a national project for enhancing the country’s grain storage capacity, costing Rs27 billion, were also approved.

Concept papers for setting up a national training centre in Kasur, creation of new
facilities for handling and purification of coal gas and its production by underground coal gasification were also considered.

The meeting was attended by officials of sponsoring agencies, including ministries of water and power, Wapda, and representatives of provincial governments. link....