ECNEC approves uplift projects worth Rs 124.5b in Pakistan
By Shiraz Afzal - Pakistan Times Staff Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: ECNEC on Friday approved 39 development projects in various sectors involving 124.5 billion rupees. Of them 3 are new and six old projects. The ECNEC meeting was held here under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz here Friday.

Later, giving details, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Akram Sheikh said the projects approved by the meeting include conversion of 25 ‘B’ status districts of Balochistan into ‘A’ category areas and raising of six thousand additional personnel of Balochistan constabulary. He explained that after conversion of B-Areas into ‘A’ the existing Levis system would be replaced by normal policing system as elsewhere in the country. The two projets would cost over 9.6 billion rupees.

Mr Akram Sheikh said the ECNEC also approved 3 water related projects costing 18.53 billion rupees. These are construction of Kurram Tungi Dam in NWFP at a cost of 17.2 billion rupees, repair of Sukkur barrage at a cost of 887 million rupees and construction of Bolan Dam in Balochistan at a cost of 436 million rupees.t the request of Minister of State for Finance Omer Ayub Khan, the Prime Minister also gave anticipatory approval for Haripur Tehsil Water Supply Scheme.

The meeting approved 9 projects in transport and communications sectors involving expenditure of 50.6 billion rupees. Prominent among them include two road development and expansion projects in the NWFP at a cost of 24 billion rupees. Other projects approved by the ECNEC include devolution and area development in FATA, AJK and Barani Areas of Punjab at a cost of 9.29 billion rupees, population welfare project in FATA at a cost of 250 million rupees; balancing and modernisation of Pakistan Security Printing Corporation, rehabilitation and expansion of transmission and distribution system in Lahore and Sahiwal, IT 374 million, higher education 3.2 billion, education and training 3.8 billion rupees, physical planning 4 billion rupees and establishment of 5 new agricultural research institutes in Balochistan.

Balochistan’s Senior Minister Maulana Abdul Wassey and Minister for Finance, Syed Ehsan Shah called on the Prime Minister after ECNEC meeting and thanked the Prime Minister for approving record number of projects and allocation of unprecedented amount of Rs 17515 million in the meeting of ECNEC for the province of Balochistan. They observed that this was a clear demonstration of the Federal Government’s keenness and determination for the development of Balochistan and prosperity of its people.

The ECNEC, approved eight projects for Balochistan including a project for agriculture research centre, amounting to Rs. 614 million, education sector projects worth Rs. 2164 million, girls primary education promotion projects worth Rs. 1715 million, national highway project from Kuchla to Zhob worth Rs. 3460 million, raising of Balochistan Constabulary force and construction of Bolan Dam at a cost of Rs. 436 million.

The Ministers also discussed the situation arising from recent flood and snow fall which have effected large areas of Balochistan and sought the help of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister assured that the federal government will provide all necessary assistance to the affectees.

The Prime Minister said that the Federal Government had already approved projects amounting to Rs. 42 billion in the previous years which were under implementation, apart from the projects approved on Friday. He said the projects included infrastructure development, education, health, human resource development, water resource management.

The object of approving these projects was to bring the province of Balochistan at par with other provinces of the Federation of Pakistan.

The Prime Minister expressed the hope that with the completion of these projects the process of development in Balochistan will be accelerated which will lead to improved living conditions, better job opportunities and socio-economic uplift.●