The Planning Commission’s Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved one development project with a cumulative estimated cost of Rs. 0.634 billion and recommended one project worth Rs. 20.53 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
The meeting was presided over by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan. The Secretary Planning, Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, and senior officials from the Planning Commission and the federal ministries and divisions were also a part of the meeting while representatives of the provincial governments took part online via video conference.
Read More: Development projects worth billions, including a Rs 70 billion health care project approved by ECNEC
Various development projects related to health and water resources were put forward at the meeting out of which ‘Social Health Protection Phase-II’ worth Rs. 634 million was cleared by the CDWP.
The project aims to ensure social health protection for Gilgit-Baltistan, including medicines, general surgery, orthopedics, gynecology and obstetrics, pediatrics, ophthalmology, and ENT with allowance of up to Rs. 25,000 per member of the beneficiary household per year.
‘Rainee Canal Project (Phase-I)’, a development project related to water resources worth Rs. 20,533,836 million was referred to the ECNEC for further consideration. The goal of this project is the construction of a 174 km long canal, with a 609 km long distribution system to irrigate a total cultivable command area of 412,400 acres in the districts of Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur, and Khair.
Ministry of Water Resources was instructed to hand over the project along with the agreed-upon O & M cost. Sindh government was also directed to ensure the development of the command area.
Three Concept Clearance Proposals were also approved by which included the ‘Provision of Equipment and Personnel Training, Provision to Airport Security Forces and Pakistan Civil Aviation Industry Corporation of China International China’ worth Rs. 3,272,509 million.
‘Rehabilitation/Upgradation of Rawal Lake Treatment Plan, Old Transmission Pipe and Water Testing Laboratory, including Equipment’ worth Rs. 392,147 million was the second one to get approved and the final one was the ‘National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for the COVID-19 vaccine 2021, Pakistan Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID -19’
Ministry of National Health to was ordered by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission to make sure that necessary arrangements are made for timely purchases and the vaccination program, including arrangements for and the training of a workforce to tackle the challenges of the pandemic as per international standards.