Cash strapped: CDWP approves 8 new projects worth Rs4.7b

4 projects worth Rs32.9 billion were referred to the ECNEC for approval.

ISLAMABAD: Despite facing an acute shortage of funds, the government on Thursday approved eight new projects worth Rs4.7 billion, while four projects worth Rs32.9 billion were referred to the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.

“Pakistan is currently in acute economic crisis. It is facing problems in energy, security and social sectors. Therefore, we must spend our resources on very important and high-priority projects by avoiding their wasteful expenditure,” the federal minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal remarked as he chaired a meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting in Islamabad on Thursday.

The meeting had met to consider approvals for 14 development projects from Physical Planning & Housing, Health, Transport & Communications, Water Resources, Education, Energy, Governance, Culture Sports & Tourism, Information Technology and Higher Education sectors.

The approved projects include a health insurance (Social Health Protection) scheme for the poor in Gilgit worth Rs173 million. An integration of health services delivery with special focus on maternal newborn and child health (MNCH), lady health workers (LHW) and nutrition programme for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province worth Rs22.8 billion.  An improvement and reconditioning of a 52km stretch of the Noseri Leswa by-pass road in district Muzaffarabad-Neelum (AJ&K) worth Rs965 million; metalling and blacktopping of 40km stretch of the Authmuqam Karen by-pass road in Muzaffarabad-Neelum (AJ&K) worth Rs842 million. The construction of a flyover at Koyla Phatak in Quetta worth Rs1.4 billion was also approved.

CDWP also approved the Balochistan Small Scale Irrigation (BSSIP) Project worth Rs2.2 billion along with a project for the establishment and operation of basic education community schools across Pakistan (2012-16), worth Rs6.2 Billion.

Concept approval was also given to the Technology Park Development Project in Islamabad worth Rs5.4 billion.

CDWP also approved the Culture, Sports and Tourism Joint Institution Cooperation project between Pakistan and Norway worth Rs162 million.

The meeting also approved Rs644 million for establishing a campus of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology in Islamabad.

Approval for the Rs793 million reforms and innovation in government project was also granted. Under the programme reform agenda of the government would be pursued through the innovation and reform group over the next five years. An innovation fund will be established for this purpose with Rs250 million to encourage innovative projects.

“Government machinery is not capable to tackle new challenges of the global era. We need government machinery in line with the new management principles to facilitate and serve our people efficiently, which is not possible without reforms in the governance model,” Iqbal remarked.

Not all projects presented were approved. Iqbal was incensed at CDA authorities for presenting an odd architectural design for the extension of parliament house building, and directed them to redraw the plans in harmony with the existing structure of parliament building.