Farkhund Yousufzai
ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party has cleared 10 development projects worth Rs. 87.17 billion during its meeting held on Monday which was presided over by the Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary Planning Ministry, Chief Economist, Members Planning Commission and representatives from the various ministries and divisions. The forum considered ten projects related to the Ministry of Housing and Works, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Science & Technology, and Higher Education Commission HEC.
The forum has cleared the Reconstruction of Turbat- Mand Road from M-8 to Iranian Border-Radeeq at the cost of Rs 20,992.875m, Construction of Pun Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran Road, District Awaran at the cost of Rs 29,638.353m, Reconstruction of Mangopir at the cost of Rs 3190.432m, Completion of Niheng Bridge at Rodbun, District Kech at the cost of Rs 673.688m, 26MW Shagharthang Hydropower Project at the cost of Rs 17,972.902m, Strengthening Institution for Refugee’s Administration (SIRA) at the cost of Rs 2,043.000m, Establishment of Cancer Hospital in ICT at the cost of Rs 3,406.169m, Gwadar Safe City Project (Phase-1) at the cost of Rs4,966.905m, Development of Ziarat Town at the cost of Rs 5,558.545m and Establishment of National Forensic Science Laboratory at the cost of Rs 1978.422m.
The forum has recommended the Reconstruction of Turbat- Mand Road from M-8 till Iranian Border-Radeeq at the cost of Rs 20,992.875m to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNE). The revised Project envisages the completion of the 410-meter long and 8.2-meter wide two-lane Niheng Bridge at Rodbun, District Kech, Baluchistan Province.
The start point of the project shoots from the existing Nehang Bridge, the South side embankment of which has been washed away due to floods.
Other projects
The forum also recommended the Construction of Pun Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran Road, District Awaran at the cost of Rs 29,638.353m to the ECNE. The revised Project envisages construction of a 228-kilometer long and 7.3-meter wide (3.65-meter wide each) asphaltic carriageway, starting from Panjgur – Gichak -Awaran, District Panjgur & Awaran, in the Southern Baluchistan Region. The project road will connect Gichak with Panjgur and Karachi via Bela – Hoshab Road. Similarly, the forum cleared the Reconstruction of Mangopir at Rs 3190.432m.
The CDWP also approved a project Strengthening Institutions for Refugee’s Administration SIRA at the cost of Rs 2.043.000m. The States and Frontier Regions Ministry is mandated to deal with the issues related to Afghan refugees.
The Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees (CCAR), an attached department of the Ministry of SAFRON, is the operational arm to manage Afghan Refugees. CCAR and its Provincial Afghan Commissionerate’s offices are responsible for advising/ providing inputs on policy matters and implementing the policies of the Ministry of SAFRON on Afghan Refugees’ issues.
It is estimated that nearly three million Afghan Refugees are living in Pakistan i.e. 1.436 million Afghans with Proof of Registration Cards (POR) for their identity, in addition to approximately: 840,000 Afghan Citizen Card holders and an estimated 700,000 undocumented Afghan living in Pakistan.
The Ministry of SAFRON, with the technical assistance of the National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA), has registered these Afghan Refugees. The Government of Pakistan has allowed UNHCR to conduct refugee status determination (RSD).
Individuals recognized as refugees at the outcome of the UNHCR’s RSD process and members of their families are issued UNHCR Refugee Identity cards, known as Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
The forum also recommenced the 26 MW Shagharthang Hydropower Project, Skardu, at the cost of 17,972.902m to the ECNE. The Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan is the sponsoring agency of the project. The major purpose of the project is to exploit the potential of hydropower available in the middle stretch of Kachura Lungma to generate 26 MW output, which will augment power to the existing electricity network of the area to resolve power shortages to the consumers of load centers in Skardu valley.
The CDWP also approved the Establishment of a Cancer Hospital in ICT (Revised) at the cost of Rs3,406.169m. The Health Ministry is the sponsoring agency of the project.
This project envisages the establishment of a 200 bedded state-of-the-art hospital for indoor admission of various types of cancer patients. The division of the beds includes 75 beds for adult oncology, twenty-five beds for women oncology, twenty-five beds for ICU, 30 beds for private, and 20 beds for emergencies.
Similarly, the forum approved Gwadar Safe City Project (Phase-1) at Rs 4,966.905m. Govt of Balochistan is the sponsoring Agency. This project envisages providing a safer city for the residents of Gwadar, particularly at the identified strategic locations, and also helps the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in detecting crime and investigating crime by collecting evidence. Gwadar is a relatively unsafe city, with many western countries advising their citizens to avoid traveling there.
The establishment of the National Forensic Science Laboratory at the cost of Rs 1978.422m was also approved by the forum. The Ministry of Interior is the sponsoring agency of the project. The laboratory will be established in ICT.
