CDWP approves 33 projects worth Rs42.8b
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) here Saturday approved as many as 33 projects costing Rs. 42.8 billion, including foreign component of Rs 11.8 billion.
The CDWP held its 6th meeting of the current financial year here under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, M. Akram Sheikh.
Of those, sixteen projects of Rs. 37.4 billion are related to infrastructure building, while 17 projects costing Rs. 5.4 billion are in social sector. 27 projects costing Rs. 20.9 billion will be financed by the Federal Government while other projects would be co-shared.
Briefing the newsmen, Spokesman Planning Commission, Asif Sheikh said that in earlier five meetings, the CDWP had approved 185 projects costing Rs. 523.05 billion.
He said that of the 33 projects the CDWP approved today, 12 projects costing Rs. 36.8 billion would be placed before Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.
He said the CDWP also approved two projects costing Rs 15.6 billion in AJK, the Bagh City Development Project and the Rawalakot City Development Project which he said would be financed by the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA).
The CDWP approved 10 projects in all Pakistan costing Rs 4 billion. It approved three projects in Punjab province costing Rs 1.1 billion. Of these, one project namely “TA Loan for Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System Project costing 0.5 billion would be fully financed by the Government of the Punjab.
He said that the CDWP approved 11 projects for Sindh costing Rs.18.9. Of these, two projects costing 0.8 billion would be financed on 50:50 cost sharing basis i.e Government of Sindh and Federal Government, while one project costing Rs 5.1 billion would be fully financed by the Sindh government.
Asif Sheikh said that two projects costing Rs.1.4 billion were approved for NWFP, while three projects costing Rs 1.2 billion were approved for Balochistan.
The CDWP also gave conceptional clearance to two projects in energy sector which would cost Rs.30 billion.
Asif Sheikh said that of the 33 projects, 4 projects had been revised and their net addition in total cost is Rs.1.3 billion adding that the total additional cost of the projects approved on Saturday is Rs.41.4 billion.
The sixteen projects approved in infrastructure include six projects in energy sector, five in Physical Planning and Housing, four in Transport and Communication sector and one in Water Resources. While seventeen projects approved in social sector include two in Governance, two in health, ten in Higher Education Commission (HEC) and three in Manpower.