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CDWP approves eight development projects
ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved eight development projects at a cost of Rs25.191 billion and recommended a project at cost of Rs10.671 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval.
The CDWP met here with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal in the chair.
The meeting was attended by Awais Manzur Sumra, Secretary Planning, along with Chief Economist, VC PIDE, other members of the Planning Commission, federal secretaries, heads of Provincial Planning and Development (P&D) boards/ departments, and senior representatives from relevant federal ministries and provincial governments.
CDWP approves 15 uplift projects worth Rs422.704 billion
The agenda focused on development projects across key sectors, including food and agriculture, higher education, information technology, power, and transport and communications.
A project related to food and agriculture presented in the meeting namely, 'Speed Breeding Platform for Development of Climate Smart Hybrids Crops' worth Rs990 million approved by the CDWP.
The minister directed that all stakeholders including private sector should be engaged in setting research and seed development agenda at NIAB. 'We need to develop high weather resistant and productivity seeds using hybrid technology,' he said A project related to higher education sector presented in the meeting namely, 'Dr A Q Khan Institute of Materials & Emerging Sciences' worth Rs3,538.364 million was approved by the CDWP forum. Dr AQ Khan Institute of Materials & Emerging Sciences will be established in Quaid-i-Azam University and provide state-of-the-art education and research facilities in material and emerging sciences. University of Cambridge, UK, agreed to provide technical assistance when Minister Planning visited that university last year.
A project related to information technology sector presented in the meeting namely, 'Digitalisation of In-House Processes & Automation of Examination System of Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC)' worth Rs3047.772 million approved by the forum. The project shall improve the overall governance paradigm of the federal government through speedy recruitment process, provision of quality human resource to the Federal Ministries/ Divisions/ Departments in minimum possible time with ease and transparency. Moreover, the project has been designed keeping in view the vision of the federal government for e-governance under the digitalisation drive. This project also serves the objectives as envisioned in Digital Pakistan Policy & Vision 2025. The project shall enhance the functional capacity of FPSC and modernise its processes through business process reengineering (BPR). The minister emphasised that this step is essential for achieving long-term operational efficiency which will benefit the entire government by cutting delays in recruitment processes and aligns with the broader government's governance reform agenda.
A project related to science and technology presented in the meeting namely, 'NILOP - PIEAS Emerging Technologies Centre' worth Rs.3385 million approved by the forum. The minister said it is vital that we develop strong technological capability for meeting challenges of the new digital and industrial revolution 4.0 and 5.0.
A project related to Special areas (GB) presented in the meeting namely, '16-MW Hydropower Project Nalter-III Gilgit' was recommended to ECNEC at revised cost of Rs.1,0671.357 million. The scope of work includes construction of a 54-meter-long connecting canal linking the weir to a single-chamber sedimentation basin, which is 84 meters long, 6 meters wide, and 5 meters deep, designed to remove sediment particles larger than 0.2 mm. A gravel trap is provided at the end of the canal. This project will help in addressing energy shortages in GB.
Four projects related to transport and communications were approved by the forum during the meeting.
The projects named 'Widening/ carpeting of Booni Buzund Torkhow Road in District Chitral Upper- 28Km' worth Rs1,894.148 million, 'Constriction of Black Top Northern Bypass Road Loralai (15.50 Km)' worth Rs3828.165 million, 'Extension of Margalla Highway from GT Road (N-5) to Motorway (M-1); (Punjab Limits), (Length: 2.5 Km)' worth Rs7106.374 million and 'Feasibility Study for Trans Afghan Rail connectivity from Kharlachi (Pakistan) to Mazar-e-Shairf (Afghanistan) via Logar (677 Kms Approx.)' worth Rs1401.400 million, which is part of multi-modal regional connectivity framework under URAAN Pakistan initiative were presented. The forum also cleared the concept paper related to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training titled, 'Action to Strengthen Performance for Inclusive and Responsive Education', funded by the World Bank. While reviewing the project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal, emphasised the need to transform Islamabad's education system into a model for other provinces. He questioned whether the current system in the federal capital is exemplary enough to be replicated nationwide and stressed that educational reforms in Islamabad should serve as a benchmark across the country.
Ahsan Iqbal expressed concern that education offices have become centres for issuing transfer orders, rather than hubs of innovation and technological integration. While acknowledging improvements in some urban schools of Islamabad, he pointed out that rural schools in the capital territory remain in poor condition. The minister gave the Ministry of Education a one-month deadline to present a comprehensive roadmap for educational reforms in Islamabad, with the goal of setting an example that can be replicated across all provinces.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
