ISLAMABAD - The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved seven development projects worth Rs559.766 billion, including World Bank-funded Flood Response Emergency Housing Project Phase-I worth Rs. 447 billion, which was recommended to ECNEC for further consideration.
The first-ever paperless CDWP meeting, which met with Minister PDSI & Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal in chair, has approved three projects worth Rs8.23 billion, while recommended four projects worth Rs551.536 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for its consideration. The agenda included discussion on projects of health, manpower, physical planning & housing, transport & communication and science & technology.
A project related to physical planning & housing sector presented in the meeting namely “Flood Response Emergency Housing Project Phase-I (2nd Revision)” worth Rs447000 million was recommended to ECNEC for further consideration. The project is proposed to be financed through foreign funding of World Bank. The project aims to support the flood affected people of Sindh province to reconstruct their houses in selected communities affected by the 2022 floods in all districts of Sindh province, besides provision of WASH facilities/communal toilets and reconstruction of supportive infrastructure including water supply schemes, sanitation, drainage, roads, street pavements and protection works. One projects related health sector namely “Improvement of Maternal and Child Health Equipment in Flood-affected and Surrounding Areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” worth Rs3147.497 million was approved by the forum.
The second project of health sector namely “Prime Minister’s Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C Infection” worth Rs67.77 billion was recommended to ECNEC for further consideration. The project is designed with a 51% federal share and a 49% provincial share, aiming to screen, test, and treat 50% of the eligible population (82.5 million individuals aged 12 and above) for Hepatitis C. The goal is to conduct rapid screening tests, PCR testing, and a 12-week oral treatment regimen for affected individuals. The third project of the health sector presented namely “Prime Minister’s Program for Prevention and Control of Diabetes Mellitus” worth Rs6.8 billion was approved by the forum. The project envisages prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes through awareness, advocacy, & communication, diagnosis at PHC facilities and referral for treatment at THQ/DHQ facilities. The scope of the project includes provision of diagnostic kits (urine sticks and Haem-glucostix testing) and procurement of medicines at PHC facilities, training and capacity building of healthcare workers, awareness, advocacy, & communication campaigns. The CDWP approved to launch the programme in federal areas (ICT, AJK and GB) in year 1 (FY2024-25) and side by provincial coordination will continue to get commitment of 50% financial contribution of the provinces where after the programme will be implemented nationwide. A project related to manpower sector namely “Balochistan Youth Internship Program- Under Post-flood 2022 Reconstruction Program; Resilience Enhancement and Livelihood Diversification in Balochistan” worth Rs1820 million was approved by the forum.
A project related to science & technology namely “Establishment of Institute of Petroleum Technology (Revised)” worth Rs3271.307 million was approved by the forum. A project related to transport & communication namely “CAREC Corridor Development Investment Program Tranche-I Project, Petaro - Sehwan Road Section 130.37Km, Ratodero - Shikharpur Road Section 44.40 Km and Rehabilitation of Darra Adam Khel - Peshawar Road Section 34.35 Km (Total 209.12 Km) (Revised)” worth Rs29.966 billion was recommended to ECNEC for further consideration. The project is proposed to be financed through foreign funding of ADB, part funding from GoS and PSDP. The scope of the work also includes construction of bridges, underpasses, cattle creeps, box & pipe culverts, retaining walls, drainages, erosion & and cillary works along with allied facilities.