CDWP approves Rs21.83b worth of projects
Listen to article
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal, approved ten development projects. Of these, four projects with a total cost of Rs21.83 billion were approved at the CDWP level, while six major projects worth approximately Rs227.34 billion were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval.
According to a press statement issued on Tuesday, the meeting was attended by Awais Manzur Sumra, Secretary Planning, Chief Economist, VC PIDE, other members of the Planning Commission, Federal Secretaries, and senior representatives from provincial governments and relevant ministries. The agenda included projects from key sectors such as Transport & Communications, Environment, Higher Education, and Information Technology.
One approved IT project was the "Expansion of Safe City, Islamabad" worth Rs7.5 billion. Currently, 35% of Islamabad is under surveillance; upon completion, 100% of the city will be monitored, covering roads, religious sites, VVIP areas, and government buildings. The project will expand surveillance from 13 to 28 police stations with 3,655 additional cameras and also includes executive staff training, facial recognition systems, ANPR, and an Integrated Video Management System.
Another approved project was the "Establishment of National Centre for Quantum Computing (NCQC)" worth Rs3.31 billion. It covers civil works, laboratory equipment, scholarships, international training, and institutional linkages at HUB, UET, GIKI, and NED. Ahsan Iqbal emphasised the centre's role in securing Pakistan's technological future and competitiveness in cybersecurity, AI, drug discovery, and climate modelling.
A revised "Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP)" project worth Rs21.19 billion was referred to ECNEC. It addresses weaknesses in tertiary education, especially in Affiliated Colleges, by providing technology, funding mechanisms, and improved governance with World Bank support. Six Transport and Communication projects were also referred to ECNEC, including dualization of roads in Khushab, Gujranwala, and Chishtian, and a Lahore access corridor. A Rs155.4 billion highway reconstruction project under the Resilient Recovery Framework, to be 90% funded by AIIB, was also included.
The CDWP also approved the Rs5.31 billion rehabilitation of railway track maintenance machines and a Rs5.7 billion Punjab Clean Air Programme targeting PM2.5 emissions through electric vehicles, fuel testing, and anti-smog agricultural practices.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
16 hours ago
- Express Tribune
CDWP greenlights Rs55b uplift projects
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) — a key planning and project-approval body — has approved five development projects worth Rs55.164 billion for sustainable economic development in the country. A CDWP meeting held on Friday under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal greenlighted these projects. Out the five, three projects totaling Rs47.439 billion were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval. The agenda focused on development projects across key sectors, including environment, food and agriculture, health and physical planning and housing. A project related to the environment sector — installation of Weather Surveillance Radar at Sukkur — worth Rs5725.013 million was also approved. The chair noticed inordinate delay in implementation of the project with Japanese grant and directed the relevant authority to complete it on priority basis. A project related to food and agriculture — Balochistan Livelihoods and Entrepreneurship Project — was also recommended to ECNEC. The revised cost of the project is Rs12461.661 million. It will be financed through World Bank and International Development Association (IDA) and MDTF. The main objective of the project is to promote employment opportunities for rural communities and ensure the sustainability of enterprises in eight districts of Balochistan including Chagai, Killa Abdullah, Killa Saifullah, Mastung, Nushki, Pishin, Sherani, and Zhob. The project aims to benefit rural households by supporting livelihoods through enterprise development and job creation. Furthermore, it will extend benefits to communities for enterprises development in sectors — agriculture, livestock, forestry, mines and minerals, tourism, and industry. Ahsan Iqbal directed that the additional scope of work should include tangible and impact oriented interventions under the project.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Ahsan visits under-construction National Police Hospital, Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal paid a visit to the under-construction National Police Hospital located in Sector H-11, Islamabad and directed the concerned authorities to ensure the timely completion of the project by June 2026. He was accompanied by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Inspector General of Islamabad Police, and Deputy Commissioner Islamabad. During the visit, the federal minister reviewed the construction progress and expressed satisfaction over the pace of work. He directed the concerned authorities to ensure the timely completion of the project by June 2026, emphasising that the hospital is a significant step towards the welfare and healthcare of police personnel. 'This project reflects the state's firm commitment to supporting law enforcement agencies. Our police force forms the frontline of internal security, and it is the state's responsibility to ensure their health and wellbeing,' he said. Sharing details of the project, the minister said the National Police Hospital will be a state-of-the-art facility with a capacity of 250 beds. It will provide services in general medicine, surgery, emergency care, and other specialized areas. Upon completion, it will directly benefit nearly 12,000 police personnel by offering them access to modern medical facilities. He noted that the project was approved in May 2023 and underscored the importance of its timely completion. 'These projects are funded by taxpayers' money and must be treated as a national trust. Any negligence in their delivery is unacceptable,' he said. Officials from the relevant ministries, engineers, and project stakeholders briefed the minister on the current status and progress of construction. Iqbal instructed all involved to maintain transparency, quality, and speed in implementation, adding that sustainable and timely completion of development projects is vital for the uplift of vulnerable segments of society and the strengthening of state institutions. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Minister says M-6 to cost Rs364b
Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has clarified that the Cost of M-6 Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway rationalized from 395 billion to 364 billion. It is to clarify that during the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting held on June 18, 2025, an error was made in the cost figure of the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (M-6) project, which was inadvertently reported, said a release issued here on Friday. The correct revised cost of the project, as recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), is Rs364 billion, not Rs395 billion as initially stated in press release.
