A recent Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting, presided over by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, approved four projects worth Rs. 12.25 billion on Wednesday.
The meeting committee also recommended two projects worth Rs. 33.427 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for consideration, and also allowed for extension in re-tendering of one project worth Rs. 12.10 billion.
Senior officials from federal and provincial governments were also present in the meeting. Projects related to Energy, Social Welfare, and Water Resources were presented in the meeting.
Three projects related to energy were presented in the forum. The first project, “Social Development of Harpo Valley & Strengthening of WPO GB under Accompanying Measures of 34.5 MW HPP Harpo”, worth Rs. 255 million was approved n the meeting. The objective of this project is the procurement of machinery and tools for the Hydro-Electric workshop at Skardu, community development work in the Harpo Valley, up-gradation of C- Class Dispensary & girls middle school, etc.
The second project in energy, titled “20 MW Hydropower Project Hanzel Gilgit”, worth Rs. 12,109.6 million was also allowed extension for the re-tendering. This project is aimed at constructing the Hanzel Hydropower project (10 MW) along Gilgit River – a right-bank tributary of Indus River to transmit energy to Gilgit town and surrounding areas through a 132 kV transmission line for meeting the power and energy requirements of the Gilgit District.
The third project related to that got the nod, “Construction of 132 kV Grid Station at Kanmehtarzai and 132 kV feed for Kanmehtarzai In & out from existing 132 kV D/C Muslim Bagh- Khanozai Transmission Line”, is worth Rs. 263.46 million.
A project related to Social Welfare was also presented in the meeting. Titled “Women’s Income Growth and Self- Reliance” and valued at Rs. 7140 million, this project was also approved in the meeting. The objective of the project is to establish a sustainable government-led system to be established for the transition of extremely poor women from social protection to sustainable livelihood and poverty reduction. Productive inclusion and economic empowerment of women is the main objective of this initiative.
In addition to the above approvals, the committee also considered three projects related to Water Resources. Two of these projects, namely “Basol Dam Project” worth Rs. 18,679.89 million and “Balochistan Integrated Water Resources Management and Development Project” worth Rs. 14,747.74 million, were referred to ECNEC for approval.
The third project aimed to tackle the issues of water scarcity, water augmentation, salinity, floods, increased poverty in backyard irrigated areas, and institutional reforms. Titled “Indus 21 Water Sector Building and Advisory Services project (WCAP)”, this project costing Rs. 4,593.97million was approved by CDWP.
Good projects for under-developed areas