The Central Development Work Party (CDWP), headed by Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister Ahsan Iqbal, approved 15 development projects worth Rs422.704 billion during its meeting on Sunday.
Of these projects, six projects worth Rs17.95 billion were directly approved, while nine projects worth a total of Rs404.754 billion were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further review, according to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. .
Projects discussed during the meeting included health, agriculture, governance, transportation, water resources, science and technology. The session was attended by federal and local representatives, including Planning Secretary Owais Manzoor Somra and members of the Planning Commission.
The Rs 137.711 billion “Construction of Khwazakhela-Bicham Expressway” has been referred to ECNEC. The project includes the construction of a 48-kilometre highway equipped with bridges, tunnels and drainage systems to improve connectivity.
The project “Procurement/Manufacture of 820 High Capacity Buggy Wagons and 230 Passenger Coaches (Revised)”, worth Rs 70.967 billion, has been referred to ECNEC. It aims to modernize the rolling stock of Pakistan Railways to improve freight and passenger services.
The Sindh government project, “Enhancing Early Learning in Sindh through Transforming Classrooms (Revised)”, worth Rs46.570 billion, has been referred to ECNEC for further review. The project is proposed to be funded from the Annual Development Plan of the Sindh government.
The ‘Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP)’ worth Rs45.792 billion has also been referred to ECNEC. It focuses on climate-smart agriculture, inclusive employment of disadvantaged groups, and poverty reduction in coastal areas of Sindh, including Badin, Sujawal, and Thatta.
The revised “Construction of Rawalpindi Ring Road”, worth Rs 32.997 billion, has been referred to ECNEC. It includes the construction of a 38.3 km long main road with intersections, bridges and toll plazas.
“Economic Transformation Initiative, Gilgit-Baltistan Planning and Development Department (Revised)” worth Rs 26.763 billion has been transferred to ECNEC. The project, which is financed through foreign funding, aims to develop 50,000 acres of irrigated land, build 400 kilometers of farm-to-market roads, and improve the agricultural value chain for about 100,000 rural households in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The ‘Construction of Manji Dam and Water Conveyance System (Review)’ worth Rs 18.994 billion has been referred to ECNEC. The project is financed through a 50:50 split between the Federal Private Sector Development Project and the Regional Private Sector Development Project, and includes the construction of a 61-metre-high dam with a reservoir capacity of 36.43 million cubic metres.
The ‘Rehabilitation of Multan-Vehari Road’ worth Rs 12.886 billion has been referred to ECNEC. It aims to rehabilitate 93.5 km of roads to improve connectivity in Punjab.
The Rs 12.069 billion “Klm Start Point Extension to Saggian Road and Ravi Main Bridge (Revised)” project has been referred to ECNEC. It includes upgrades to interchanges, ferries and toll plazas.
The ‘Social Sector Accelerator (SSA) for Health, Nutrition, Education, Youth and Gender (HNEYG) – Prime Minister’s Youth Training Program (Revised)’ worth Rs 7.499 billion has been approved. The program offers 30,000 paid internships to fresh graduates, with a stipend of Rs 25,000 or Rs 40,000 per month for six months.
The CDWP approved the ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Mobilization and Public Resource Management (Technical Assistance) (Review) Programme’, worth Rs4.713 billion, which it proposes to finance through foreign funding.
The meeting approved the Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Center (PCU part) project worth Rs 3,110 billion. This initiative, aligned with the 5Es framework, aims to provide specialized healthcare at the national and international levels under the supervision of the Ministry of National Health Services.
CDWP approved the project “Enhancing MoPDSI in Information Technology”, worth Rs 1.334 billion, to enhance the technological capacity of the ministry.
Two aviation-related projects have been approved: “Consultant Recruitment of RNP-AR for All-Weather Flight Operations at Skardu, Gilgit and Chitral Airports” worth Rs 832,015 million, and “Consultancy Services for Design and Supervision of Construction of New Aircraft”. Traffic control tower and fire station at JIAP Karachi, worth Rs465.5 million.
The meeting highlighted the importance of timely implementation, with Ehsan Iqbal stressing the need for dedicated program management units to oversee projects. This session reflects a commitment to addressing development priorities across sectors.