RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved over Rs 275 billion projects for energy, water, transport and communication sectors.

A meeting of the ECNEC presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday considered and approved the project for evacuation of power from 2x660MW Thar Coal Based SSRL/SECL Power Plant at a revised total cost of Rs 21.782 billion. The main objective of the project is evacuation of power from 2x660MW Thar Coal Power Project in the national grid to up-country load centre. The related work includes 275km long 500kV HVAC double circuit transmission from power plant to 500kV Matiari Switching station, and extension at 500kV Matiari Switching station for construction of two bay.

The meeting also approved land acquisition for 138km Faisalabad-Abdul Hakeem Motorway (M-4) at a revised cost of Rs 4.220 billion. The project envisages acquisition of 3,139.5 acres of land for construction of 138km long, 4-lane Faisalabad –Abdul Hakeem Motorway (M-4) having right of way (ROW) corridor of 100m.

The ECNEC also considered and approved project regarding improvement and construction of Jalkhad–Chilas Road at a revised total cost of Rs 7.605 billion. The project envisages improvement

and construction of 71.05km long Jalkhad – Chilas rRoad to widen it to 7.3m carriageway with 1m wide shoulders on either side. The scope of work also includes construction of 11 bridges, 95 culverts, 28 causeways, slope protection and drainage works. Road project is the last segment of Mansehra–Naran–Jalkhad Road.

The ECNEC accorded approval for the project for dualisation and improvement of existing N-50 from Yarik–Sagu–Zhob including Zhob Bypass (210-km) at a total cost of Rs 76.486 billion.

The project envisages construction of 210-km 4-lane controlled access highway starting from Yarik on N-55 to Zhob on N-50 via Sagu, Daraban, Mughal Kot, Manikhuwa as part of western route of CPEC.

The proposal for rehabilitation of NHA Highway KKH (N-35) between Thakot–Raikot (remaining length of 136.4-km damaged road between 191km–471km) damaged due to unprecedented monsoon rains and flash floods in 2010, was also approved by ECNEC at a total cost of Rs 8,341.136 million.

The proposal for construction of 2-lane highway from Basima to Khuzdar (length 106-km) was approved at a cost of Rs 19.188 billion. The project aims at construction of 106-km two lanes road to a standard 7.3m wide single carriageway with 2.5m shoulders on either side from Basima to Khuzdar on new alignment at a distance of 100m from the edge of the shoulder of existing road. The project also includes land acquisition, construction of bridges, culverts, retaining structures, drainage & erosion works along with allied facilities.

The ECNEC accorded approval for Green Bus Rapid Transit System Karachi, from KESC Power House Chowrangi (Abdullah Chowk), Surjani to Central Business District, Karachi at a revised total cost of Rs 24.604 billion.

The upward revision in cost is due to increase in length of corridor from 17.80-km to 27.45-km, increase in number of stations from 22 to 35, and increased length of elevated portion from 3.45-km to 9.4-km. The project aims at construction of 27.45-km long (18.05-km at grade and 9.40-km elevated) two lanes, each lane 3.5m wide, dedicated signal-free Bus Rapid Transit System. The project would benefit 400,000 passengers every day in Karachi.

The proposal regarding the dualisation of Indus Highway (N-55) Sarai Gambila to Kohat Section, was also approved by ECNEC at a cost of Rs 30.130 billion. Under the project dualisation of existing 128-km long two lanes (7.3m wide) Indus Highway (N-55) from Sarai Gambila to Kohat would be carried out to make it a 4-lane facility.

The ECNEC approved proposal of Ministry of Water & Power for 500kV Chakwal substation at a revised cost of Rs 6.709 billion. The project envisages installation of new 500kV substation at Chakwal along with associated transmission s to meet the growing demand of the areas including Choa Saidan Shah, Gujjar Khan, Dandot, Pinanwal, Talagang, Tamman, Padshahan and Chakri under the jurisdiction of IESCO.

The ECNEC approved proposal for the 7th secondary transmission and grid stations (GEPCO), covering 6 districts of Punjab, i.e. Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin, at a total cost of Rs 7.528 billion.

The project aims to provide adequate facilities for reliable and stable supply of electricity to meet growing demand of domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers of Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO). Under the project work construction of 8 new grid stations and transmission s (190-km), addition of 15 power transformers and capacitors at grid stations, and transformation capacity addition (661.5 MW) would be carried out.

The ECNEC also approved project for enhancement in transformation capacity of NTDC system by extension and augmentation of existing grid stations, covering 28 districts throughout the country, at a total cost of Rs 16.526 billion.

Project aims to enhance existing 500kV and 220kV grid stations at various locations. The project will result in addition to 7,146MVA in the system at 28 existing grid stations, and is expected to reduce transmission losses by 40.7MW.

The project for evacuation of power from 2x1100MW K-2/K-3 coastal power plant near Karachi was also approved by ECNEC at a revised total cost of Rs 7.501 billion. Objective of the project is evacuation of 2x1100MW power from K-2/K-3 nuclear power plants to the national grid envisaged to be installed at coastal area near Karachi.

The ECNEC considered and approved proposal regarding compensation to affected people of Mirani Dam (EL-264 to 271.4 for houses & EL-245 to 271.4 for fruit and non-fruit plants) at a cost of Rs 3.5 billion, will be borne equally by the federal government and government of Balochistan on a 50:50 basis.

The ECNEC also approved the project for construction of infrastructure and allied works for Metro Bus Services Peshawar Morr–New Islamabad Airport at a total cost of Rs 16.427 billion. The project envisages construction of 25.6-km long dedicated 2-lane signal-free corridor for bus rapid transport system, to connect the already-constructed metro bus station at Peshawar Morr to the new Islamabad International Airport.

The ECNEC also considered and approved proposal for preliminary design study of up-gradation / rehabilitation of Main (ML-I) and construction of New Dry Port / Cargo Handling Facility at Havelian (Baldher), district Haripur, at a cost of Rs 10.641 billion.

The project envisages hiring of consultants for carrying out preliminary design, preparing bidding documents for EPC contract and hiring of engineering and consultancy services for review and vetting of earlier work carried out by the first consultants for the priority project of ML-I, besides establishment of Havelian Dry Port.