ISLAMABAD    -    The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday approved separate projects, including construction of 21 km long dedicated Yellow Bus Rapid Transit-BRT Corridor linking Landhi to Numaish.

The ECNEC has also approved 47.55km Peshawar-Torkham Motorway Project and interlinking of 220 kV Daharki, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Chishtian Grid Stations for improvement of power supply system in southern areas. The decisions were taken in a meeting of the ECNEC with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, in the chair.

The ECNEC approved the construction of Karachi Urban Mobility Project (Yellow Bus Rapid Transit-BRT Corridor) to be executed by the Government of Sindh at a cost of Rs61.439 billion. The project to be funded mainly by the World Bank would cover a distance of 21 kms (17.6 km at grade and 3.4 km) and start from Korangi Indtstrial Road Dawood Chowrangi Landhi, Jam Sadiq Bridge and passing through KPT Interchange FTC Interchange, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Shahrah-e-Quaideen to Kashmir Road intersection where it would integrate with Red BRT Corridor. The project would have 28 stations having facility of 268 buses and some 300,000 passengers would benefit from the corridor every day.

The ECNEC also approved with a proviso for formation of a coordination committee between the federal government and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for overview and fiscal discipline, the construction of Peshawar-Torkham Motorway Project as component-1 of Khyber Pass Economic Corridor (KPEC) at a rationalised cost of Rs36.705 billion (US$231.10 million) with World Bank share of Rs34.503 billion (US$217.24 million) based on preliminary design while the firmed-up cost of the project would be available after the receipt of bids on Design-Build-Operate/EPC basis for which the Planning Commission would develop guidelines/standard operating procedures as well as other innovative mechanism. The meeting also approved component-II “Economic Development & Upift of Areas Adjoining the Motorway” for which the Framework Agreement to facilitate preparation and feasibilities through World Bank had been agreed at a total cost of Rs8.357 billion. The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would submit PC-1 envisaged under the component-II after the feasibility and detailed design.

The ECNEC further approved a project for Interlinking of 220 kV Daharki, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Chishtian Grid Stations for improvement of power supply system in southern areas at a an updated cost of Rs 15.795 billion, including Foreign Exchange Component of Rs9.800 billion to provide reliable and uninterrupted power to consumers. The project would improve the reliability and uninterrupted power supply to HESCO and MEPCO areas while the interlinking of R.Y. Khan Grid Station to Daharki through 220kV transmission line would provide backup link between Multan, Guddu and Shikarpur while the proposed line from R.Y. Khan to Bahawalpur and in/out of Vehari-Chishtian 220 kV single circuit transmission line would provide additional source of supply to 220 kV Bahawalpur and Chishtian grid stations.

Among the other projects, the ECNEC approved construction of a four-lane 18.98 km long (with embankment for 6 lanes) Expressway on East Bay of Gwadar Port at a cost of Rs17.369 billion with foreign exchange component of Rs16.435 billion to link Gwadar Port with the Makran Coastal Highway as well as with Gwadar Free Zone and future container terminals.