ISLAMABAD - Central Development Work Party (CDWP) Thursday gave go-ahead to three projects worth Rs55.5 billion including Karachi IT Park Project costing Rs32 billion.
At a CDWP meeting presided over by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, cleared one development project with a cumulative estimated cost of Rs3.5billion and recommended two projects worth Rs52.02 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for further consideration.
Senior officials from Planning Commission and Federal Ministries/Divisions also attended the meeting while representatives from provincial governments participated through video conferences.
Projects related to Health and Information Technology was presented in the meeting. A project related to Information Technology presented in the meeting namely “establishment of IT park Karachi” worth Rs31199.885 million recommended to Ecnec for further approval. The project envisages developing a competitive knowledge-based economy through value addition, innovation, and technology adoption as delineated from time to time in various documents such as Pakistan Vision 2025, Digital Pakistan Policy (2018), and Telecommunication Policy (2015). The envision investment in the determinants of national competitiveness, skill development, and Information and Communication technologies.
While discussing the Information Technology Project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission said that technology has become very pertinent for economic development and it offers a powerful competitive advantage which ultimately leads to job creation with a strong impact on the economy. He directed the forum to make a special purpose vehicle to run this project in a company mode. World-class consultants should be hired to implement the project state of the art building with international standards should be constructed. He emphasised that time-bound activities should have designed and timely completion of the project should be ensured.
A project related to Health presented by Sindh government in the meeting namely “Covid-19 Response and other Natural Climes Control Programme” worth Rs20822.046 million recommended to Ecnec for further approval. The project envisages strengthening the health and well-being system so that the public health system can be strengthened to deal with the immediate effects of infectious diseases.
The scope of the project includes Civil work 20 bedded ICU, 30 Bedded HDU, 6 DHQs, 4 MED, 20 bedded Covid ward, 23 THQs, up-gradation of 6 DHQs, and 10 other general hospitals of Karachi, Hyderabad, and Shaadpure Institute of Medical Science, installation of 13 oxygen generation plants to various hospitals. The forum directed that the vehicles and administrative costs will be met by the provincial government. A project of PAEC for cancer hospital in Muzaffarabad worth Rs3413.947 million was also approved by CDWP.