ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved as many as 12 development projects at the cost of Rs30.32 billion and recommended one project valued at Rs27.9 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.

The CDWP met with Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan in the chair at P-Block Secretariat, on Wednesday.

Senior officials from the Planning Commission and federal ministries/divisions also participated in the meeting, while representatives from the provincial governments participated through video conferences.

Projects related to transport and communications, education, information technology, physical planning and housing, and industries and commerce were considered in the meeting.

The CDWP approved nine development projects related to transport and communications presented in the meeting namely, “Construction of Black toping of Road from Pirwkoh to Peer Sohri Darbar (17 km)” worth Rs371.66 million, “Constructor of Flyer overs at various locations of Quetta City to mitigate traffic congestion” worth Rs3.054 billion, “construction of Black Top Road from Sui to Chakar Marri via Lehaq Qaisrani, Ashiqani, District Dera Bugti” worth Rs275.642 million, “Construction of black topping of Road from Pirkoh to Pathar Nala” worth Rs380.500 million, “Construction of Blackto Road from Sui to Bijo Qabristan Asreli, District Dera Bugti” worth Rs438.250 million, “Feasibility for road sector projects of Government of Balochistan” worth Rs507.477 million and “construction/ rehabilitation Tourism Highway from Lower Topa Murree to Chowk Pindori via Kotli Sattian, District Rawalpindi” worth Rs4,039.788 million, “Dualization of Road from Lahore Sargodha, Khushab & Mianwali Road (Reach km No 206.94 to 267.37) District Khushab” worth Rs9.4 billion, and “Dualization of Road from Salam to Sargodha via Bhalwal Ajnala Road District Sargodha (Length 47 km)” worth Rs7.4 billion.

A project related to education presented in the meeting namely, “establishment of National Curriculum Council (NCC) Secretariat” worth Rs4.34 billion was approved in the meeting.

A project related to information technology presented in the meeting namely, “Pakistan Optical Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-02)” worth Rs27.914 billion was referred to the ECNEC for further approval.

The execution agency of the project is SUPARCO and the location of the project would be three cities Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore.

The project will support national security and socio-economic uplift of the country due to enhance capability in detection, identification, and performing meaningful analysis.

A project related to physical planning and housing presented in the meeting namely, “Rehabilitation of Old Town of Gwadar, (Provision of Missing Facilities)” at the cost of Rs4 billion approved by the CDWP forum.

A project related to industries and commerce presented in the meeting namely, “Feasibility Study and Infrastructure Construction of the Establishment of Karachi Industrial Park on 1500 Acres of Pakistan Steel Mills at Karachi” worth Rs20 million approved in the meeting. —NAVEED BUTT