ECNEC approves 12 projects worth Rs62 billion

Rs4 billion low cost housing project for quake hit Awaran also approved. Rs30.4b Sindh water project also approved.

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Friday approved a project of Rs4.3 billion to establish the basic education community schools across the country as it approved 12 project worth Rs62 billion.

In a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s office in Islamabad, under the chair of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar approved the Establishment and Operation of Basic Education Community Schools with a rationalised cost of Rs4.3 billion.

Although there was a confusion regarding the actual cost of the project as the meeting agenda of ECNEC, prepared by Ministry of Planning and Development, showed the cost at Rs6.9 billion while the handout given by the finance ministry mentioned the cost at Rs4.3 billion.

A similar project is already under implementation. The public Sector Development Programme showed that out of Rs7 billion total cost of the ongoing scheme Rs6.6 billion had been spent till end June last year.

After the 18th amendment in the constitution the subject of basic education has been devolved to provinces. According to constitutional experts, the creation of a federal education ministry and the continuous spending was against the spirit of the provincial autonomy.

A petition has already been filed in Supreme Court of Pakistan, challenging the creation of ministries in areas which are now provincial subjects.

According to an official handout, the community schools in the project will be spread all over the country and the Ministry of Education, Training and Standard in Higher Education will execute the projects in three years.

The project will bring the out of school children to schools and increase the overall literacy rate in the country, it added.

Education project for AJK

The ECNEC also approved reconstruction and rehabilitation of 277 flood damaged school buildings in ten districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) with a rationalised cost of Rs3.9 billion. The Islamic Development Bank would provide a loan of Rs3.5 billion for the project while the rest of the amount would be shared by the federal and AJK government.

The project would be executed by the Department of School Education AJK and completed by March 2019.

The government claimed that the project would help in raising literacy rate of AJK from 67% to 95% by 2019.

Houses for Awaran

The project of Construction of Low Cost Housing Units for earthquake affected people of District Awaran and District Kech in Balochistan at a modified cost of Rs4 billion was also approved in the meeting.

The federal government and the Balochistan government would share the cost of the project equally.

Rs2 billion under the project has already been provided by the federal Government and the government of Balochistan.

The project aims at award of cash grants of Rs220,000 to each household for reconstruction of low cost two-room house; besides provision of solar electrification units.

18 community solar pumps for provision of water would also be installed under the project.

The project would be completed in the period of three years.

Power Projects approved

The meeting also approved eight projects of Rs22.7 billion for augmentation and extension of 132/11KV transformers under Power Distribution Enhancement Investment Programme Tranche-4, funded by the Asian development Bank.

The projects will improve power networks in Faisalabad, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar.

Development projects in Sindh

The ECNEC also approved Sindh Water Sector Improvement Project (Phase-I) with a cost of Rs30.4 billion including a World Bank loan of Rs28.8 billion.

A report by the Planning Ministry for already approved Jamshoro coal fired power project was also discussed in the meeting. The meeting was informed that due to rationalisation and strengthening of Pakistan rupee against dollar, there has been a reduction of Rs77.54 billion in the cost of the project.

In February this year the ECNEC had approved the project subject to rationalisation and revision of cost.