ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on Wednesday approved 29 development projects with an estimated cost of Rs183.6 billion.
The projects will be executed in the next fiscal year as part of the Public Sector Development Programme-2006-07.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz presided over the meeting which approved 24 new projects at a total cost of Rs157.3 billion, including a foreign exchange component of Rs87.8 billion.
It approved five old projects with an increased cost of Rs26.3 billion having foreign exchange component of Rs3.3 billion instead of their original cost of Rs23.9 billion.
Ecnec also approved incorporation of a disclosure clause in the procurement contracts to be awarded by the federal and provincial governments to identify taxable money and the element of corruption.
Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Akram Sheikh told journalists after the meeting that the projects approved by Ecnec included 17 infrastructure projects with an estimated cost of Rs118.2 billion, including foreign exchange component of Rs68.5 billion.
Answering a question about government capacity to utilize about Rs400 billion of earthquake assistance funds offered by the international lenders in addition to the PSDP funds, Dr Sheikh said the capacity was available but it was rusted and would need to be revitalized. However, he said availability of raw material would be a problem.
Answering another question about utilisation of PSDP funds during the current financial year, he said the figure was not yet available but the situation had improved when compared to the past.
He said Monabao-Khokhrapar rail track was expected to be completed by December 31 and would be formally commissioned by end of January next year after being tested.
ENERGY: For two projects in the energy sector, Ecnec approved Rs12billion, including Rs5.1 billion in foreign exchange.
It approved Rs833 million for feasibility of Bunji Hydropower Project and its transmission lines and Rs11.2 billion for construction of a transmission line to link electricity supply from the proposed 969-mw Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project in Azad Kashmir with the national grid.
PHYSICAL PLANNING & HOUSING: In the physical planning and housing sector, the meeting approved five projects with a total cost of Rs15.01 billion.
Of them, Rs4.686 billion was approved for Lyari Expressway Resettlement Project, Rs8.561 billion for Karachi Water Supply K-III, Rs1.22 billion for construction of housing facilities for Rangers and Rs541 million for construction of an office building for the National Accountability Bureau in Islamabad.
NATIONAL DRAINAGE: Ecnec approved Rs21.778 billion for the revised National Drainage Programme (NDP).
The project was originally launched in 1997 with an estimated cost of Rs31 billion but had been facing snags owing to resistance from some provinces.
The project was restructured on the directives of Gen Pervez Musharraf when he was the chief executive of the country and some of its aspects were deleted.
Now all the provinces had accepted the revised structure of the project, Mr Sheikh said.
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATION: Eight projects worth Rs69.4 billion including Rs46 billion of foreign exchange were approved in the transport and communication sector.
They include Rs31.2 billion National Highway Development Sector Project throughout the country, Rs1.077 billion Korangi 8,000 Road in Sindh, Rs2.328 billion Kararo-Wadh section road improvement in Balochistan, Rs33.4 billion procurement of 75 locomotives, 150 new passenger coaches and 1,000 high capacity bogie wagons and rehabilitation of rail tracks.
The Planning Commission official said it had been decided to sell non-productive land of the Pakistan Railways.
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