ISLAMABAD:
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.
