Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, chaired the meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Tuesday. The meeting approved three projects worth Rs. 5.52 billion.
The meeting also recommended the Karachi water supply project worth Rs. 25.22 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for consideration. Projects related to Governance, Physical Planning and Housing, Education, and Science and Technology, were presented in the meeting.
The CDWP approved a project related to the Governance section, presented in the meeting for an extension in the implementation period of “Young Development Fellows (2nd Revision),” worth Rs. 133.720 million.
The program aims to groom talented young women and men with distinguished academic background and potential for leadership. This program will enhance the capacity of young Pakistanis in the areas relevant to Planning Commission, such as development, strategic planning, performance management and evaluation, project management, energy, public policy formulation, and development communications.
Two projects related to Physical Planning and Housing were presented in the meeting. The meeting referred the first project, namely “Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme (K-IV) 260 MGD (Phase-1)” worth Rs. 25,551.77 million, to ECNEC for approval. The K-IV is designed with a total capacity of 650 MGD (Million Gallons per day) to meet the water demand of the 18.5 million population of Karachi City.
The Government of Sindh was executing the project, and the meeting noticed an extraordinary delay in execution. In response to this, the CDWP requested the Government of Sindh to change the executing agency to Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Deputy Chairman Planning Commission emphasized the timely completion of the project, citing the severe water shortage in Karachi.
The meeting also approved another project, titled “Provision of Clean Drinking Water in Model Areas UC-99, 100 and 101, Lahore,” worth Rs. 1655.185 million.
CDWP approved a project related to Education, namely “Renovation/Rehabilitation of Physical Infrastructure of 200 Educational Institutions under Prime Ministers’ Education Reform Program in ICT, Islamabad (phase-II),” worth Rs. 3737.288 million.
The revised project envisaged for construction of 237 classrooms, repainting and renovation of infrastructure, repair of floors, rising of boundary wall, provision of concertina with barbed wire, and construction of water tank. The project aims to enhance the infrastructure for the public institutions and provide a conducive environment, and the provision of missing facilities in ICT schools.
The concept clearance committee cleared a concept clearance paper presented by the Government of Punjab, namely “Revamping of Water supply and Sewerage Facilities in Multan,” worth Rs. 4,000 million. The sponsoring agency will be the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the executing agency would be the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and Multan Development Authority (MDA).
Senior officials from Planning Commission and Federal Ministries/Divisions also participated in the meeting, while representatives of provincial governments participated through video links.
Source: Propakistani