ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday cleared four development projects with an estimated cost of Rs138.66 billion in the areas of transport & communications, energy and physical planning and housing including a cross-border road project.

The CDWP meeting presided over by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Jehanzeb Khan approved one project on its own at an estimated cost of Rs2bn and recommended three others worth Rs136.66bn to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for formal approval.

Under the current financial rules, the CDWP is empowered to itself approve projects costing up to Rs7.5bn while the projects of higher estimated costs are approved by Ecnec on the recommendations of the CDWP after clearance on technical grounds.

The meeting approved the construction of the Litigants Facilitation Centre for Litigants of District Courts in Sector G-10/1 Islamabad with a cost of Rs1.99bn. The project is to establish a facility catering to the needs of litigants and lawyers.

It will include various amenities such as the Litigants Facilitation Center, Cafeteria, Multipurpose Hall, Banks, Dispensary, Shop, Bar Room (for both Male and Female), Prayer Hall, Library and Day Care, Offices of Islamabad Bar Association and Islamabad Bar Council, along with Soft & Hard Landscaping and Internal Road.

The CDWP cleared on technical grounds the Second Carriageway Torkham-Jalalabad Road Project Afghan­istan with a cost of Rs16.5bn. It recommended the project to the Ecnec for formal approval.

The National Highway Authority (NHA) would be responsible for the project execution while the costs for maintenance and operation will be met by the Government of Afghanistan.

Upon completion, the road project will be handed over to the Ministry of Public Works, Government of Afghanistan. The project is financed through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). It is a Government of Pakistan-funded initiative aimed at assisting the Government of Afghanistan in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of its road network.

The CDWP also recommended to the Ecnec another project of the transport sector namely Khber Pakhtu­nkhwa Rural Road Development Project at an estimated cost of Rs105.45bn.

The project is proposed to be financed through the Asian Development Bank loan of about $325m (Rs91.2bn or 86.5pc) while the remaining Rs14.25bn or 14.5pc would be arranged by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

The CDWP also cleared for Ecnec approval an energy sector project – Expansion of 48MW Jagran Hydropower Station (Phase-II) in District Neelum, AJ&K (Revised) at an estimated cost of Rs14.744bn. The Power Development Organisation (PDO) of the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is designated for the operations and maintenance of the project.

The financing structure involves Rs12.72bn to be sourced from Germany’s Agence Française de Développement AFD, while the remaining Rs1.28 billion will be funded through the PSDP.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2024