ECNEC Approves Rs. 1.2 Trillion Diamer-Basha Dam Project Power Plant

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Thursday approved the project for the power generation facilities of the 4,500 MW Diamer-Basha Dam at a cost of Rs 1.2 trillion.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

The meeting considered and approved Diamer-Basha Project-Power Generation Facilities (4,500 MW) at a total cost of Rs. 1,236.10 billion, including a foreign exchange component (FEC) of Rs. 598.19 billion.

The main objective of the project is to capitalize on the economical and renewable hydropower energy benefits of 4,500 MW from the power generation facilities under the Diamer-Basha Dam project. The project will be implemented by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

The ECNEC considered and approved the project for dualization and rehabilitation of the Dera Ghazi Khan – Dera Ismail Khan Section of N-55 at a rationalized cost of Rs. 11.377 billion without a FEC. The project envisages the acquisition of land for the upgradation and widening of a 329.7 km long and four-lane wide dual carriageway, starting from Rajanpur and terminating at Dera Ismail Khan.

The committee considered and approved the reconstruction of the Turbat-Mand Road from the Motorway (M-8) to the Iranian Border (Radeeq) project at a rationalized cost of Rs. 19.571 billion. The revised project envisages the reconstruction and up gradation of a 115 km long carriageway starting from M-8 Gwadar-Ratodero Motorway to Kurumb (Iranian border) in Balochistan.

The ECNEC also considered and approved the construction of the Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran road at the rationalized cost of Rs. 27.638 billion without FEC. The revised project envisages the construction of 228 km long carriage way starting from Panjgur-Gichak-Awaran in southern Balochistan.

The meeting considered and approved Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP), at an updated cost of Rs. 17.47 billion, funded by the World Bank IDA loan. The project aims to ensure improvement in digitalization efforts undertaken so far throughout Pakistan. The Ministry of IT & Telecom along with NITB, NADRA, PITB, IGNITE, and the Board of Investment (BoI) will execute the project.

The Planning Commission submitted a summary regarding the Agenda for the 31st Meeting of the Steering Committee on SDG Achievement Program (SAP). The committee after discussion allowed continuity of the prevailing mechanism and allowed Power Division to approve SDGs schemes.

The ECNEC also considered and approved a summary submitted by the Planning Commission on the procedure to clear pending liabilities of the closed projects.

Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Pasha, federal secretaries, and other senior officers from federal ministries and provincial departments participated in the meeting in person while Balochistan’s Senior Provincial Minister for Planning and Development Noor Muhammad Dummar, Punjab’s Minister for Industries SM Ahsen Tanveer, and Adviser to the CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Finance Himmayatullah Khan attended the meeting through zoom.