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ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has given go-ahead to five development projects at the cost of Rs405.7 billion.

The CDWP approved two development projects at the cost of Rs3.37 billion and recommended three projects valued at Rs402.31 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for further consideration.

The CDWP met with Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khanin the chair at P-Block Secretariat on Tuesday.

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

Projects related to governance, physical planning and housing, transport and communications, and education, were considered at the meeting.

A project related to governance presented at the meeting namely, “Establishment of Public Financial Management Unit (PFMU) and Program Support Unit (PSU) in Finance Department and Planning and Development (P&D) Board respectively under Punjab Resources Improvement and Digital Effectiveness (PRIDE) Programme” at the cost of Rs86.785 billion recommended to the Ecnec for further approval.

The programme aims at increasing own sources revenue and improving reliability of resources allocations and access to digital services for people and firms in the province.

The programme primarily addresses the tree challenges (a) fiscal risk management, (b) revenue mobilization, and (c) expenditure management through better use of information system.

A project related to Physical Planning and Housing presented in the meeting namely, “1.2 MGD R.O.D Plant (Chinese Grant)” at the cost of Rs2.124 billion approved by the CDWP forum.

Two projects related to transport and communication presented at the meeting namely, “Construction of Dir Motorway” worth Rs39 billion and “Peshawar DI Khan Motorway (360 km)” worth Rs276.529 billion referred to the Ecnec for further approval.

Both roads will considerably reduce the traffic congestion and delay issues on the said routes and will provide a fastest route for the people moving with the region and beyond.

A project related to education sector presented at the meeting namely, “Establishment of Directorate General of Religious Education” at the cost of Rs1.253 billion was approved in the forum.

The main objective of the project is to mainstream religious education in Pakistan by registering all Deeni Madaris of Pakistan with the Ministry of FE&PT, Islamabad and facilitate them to introduce contemporary subjects from SSC/HSSC in next five years. The CDWP also approved one position paper, namely, “Pandemic Response Effectiveness Project for Covid-19” worth Rs810.396 million.