The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) convened on Friday, approving nine development projects valued at approximately Rs. 224 billion across various sectors.
The primary objective is to expedite international financial assistance from both multilateral and bilateral lenders, addressing delays in project preparation despite commitments made over a year ago at the Geneva conference.
Chaired by Dr. Jehanzeb Khan, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, CDWP granted approval for five smaller projects totaling Rs. 10.02 billion, while recommending four larger initiatives amounting to Rs. 213.86 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
The projects span diverse sectors, encompassing food and agriculture, education, energy, physical planning and housing, science and technology, social welfare, transport and communication, and water resources.
A significant nod went to the Rs. 24.64 billion ($88 million) ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Security Support Project,’ aimed at aiding farmers affected by the 2022 floods. Fully funded by the Asian Development Bank ($83 million) and Japan ($5 million), the project requires no contribution from the provincial government.
The Rs. 83.19 billion ($300 million) ‘Sindh School Rehabilitation Project,’ covering 17 districts, was also referred to ECNEC for rebuilding and upgrading schools impacted by natural disasters.
Another noteworthy approval involved the ‘Women Inclusive Finance Development Programme,’ a project backed by the Asian Development Bank with over $100 million in lending. Estimated to cost Rs. 31.41 billion, the initiative aims to support women entrepreneurs nationwide.
Furthermore, CDWP cleared a substantial water sector project for Sindh, totaling Rs. 74.62 billion, aimed at improving the region’s barrages.
In addition to these projects recommended to ECNEC, CDWP approved five development schemes under its jurisdiction. Notably, the ‘Rehabilitation of Schools in Balochistan Affected by Flooding’ project, costing Rs. 1.4 billion, seeks to restore schools severely impacted by floods in multiple districts.
Other approved projects include the first phase of the ‘Permanent Settlement of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) Refugees 1989 Onwards,’ a Rs. 3.1 billion initiative. This phase targets the construction of 750 houses for families displaced from India-held Kashmir in Azad Kashmir. Additionally, projects for the improvement of roads in Azad Kashmir and the establishment of a Pak-Korea testing laboratory for PV modules and allied equipment were also greenlit by the CDWP.
