KARACHI: Reviewing the activities of the Pakistan Government’s Development Board, its Secretary, Dr Nazir Ahmed told [news agencies] on Monday that so far 92 nation-building schemes had been sanctioned envisaging an overall expenditure of about Rs 640,000,000 in a period of five years. There were several other schemes … under … consideration, he added. These approved schemes, he pointed out, did not include some major schemes like the Lower Sind Barrage Project which were being financed and executed by the Provincial Governments. Besides, the Pakistan Government had sanctioned Rs 10,000,000 for agricultural development of the provinces.

The Development Board, [he] revealed, had so far considered 189 development schemes submitted by the Central Ministries and Provincial Governments, of which 92 had been approved… . Work had started on about 60 of the approved projects… . Giving details … [he] said that during the current year power projects would cost over Rs 40,000,000 while Rs 60,000,000 were to be spent on the improvement of communication, Rs 45,000,000 on irrigation and Rs 2,450,000 on agriculture.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2024