Islamabad: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday referred three major development projects, including the Pakistan Space Centre, Lahore’s water and wastewater management project and the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme (K-IV), to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final consideration.
The projects have a combined estimated cost of PKR 240.537 billion. The CDWP also approved seven development projects with a combined cost of PKR 12.437 billion during the meeting, chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal.
The revised Establishment of Pakistan Space Centre (PSC) project, sponsored by SUPARCO, was referred to ECNEC at an estimated cost of PKR 37.131 billion. The project aims to establish indigenous capabilities for satellite design, assembly, integration, testing and qualification, reducing reliance on foreign facilities.
Ahsan Iqbal described the Space Centre as an important component of the National Space Programme-2047 and said it would contribute to strengthening Pakistan’s capacity and self-reliance in space technology.
The CDWP also referred the Punjab government’s revised Lahore Water and Wastewater Management Project, costing PKR 31.592 billion, to ECNEC. The project includes a 54-million-gallon-per-day (MGD) surface water treatment plant at BRBD Canal, transmission pipelines, pumping stations, storage facilities, a SCADA system, solar power generation and water distribution infrastructure.
The forum directed the Punjab Planning and Development Board to provide an undertaking for annual funding of the project through the Provincial Annual Development Programme.
The revised Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme (K-IV) 260 MGD (Phase-I) was also referred to ECNEC at an estimated cost of PKR 171.814 billion.
The project includes an intake structure at Keenjhar Lake, gravity conduits, pumping stations, transmission pipelines, water reservoirs, filtration plants, a staff colony, access roads and related infrastructure.
Iqbal termed K-IV a major public service project and directed the Sindh government to submit a comprehensive report on synchronising critical components, particularly the completion schedule for the 50MW power supply and distribution network augmentation, to support timely operationalisation of the scheme.
Among the seven projects approved by the CDWP were four higher education schemes. These included the PKR 2.551 billion revised project for strengthening the Women University of AJK, Bagh; PKR 1.044 billion for academic facilities at Emerson University, Multan; PKR 4.559 billion for the Hyderabad Institute for Technology and Management Sciences; and the revised KBCMA CVAS project, whose cost was reduced from PKR 5.494 billion to PKR 4.283 billion.
The minister directed authorities to rationalise costs, strengthen project governance and ensure transparency in the implementation of higher education projects. He also instructed the Higher Education Commission to develop a master plan and panel of qualified contractors for university projects.
The CDWP’s decisions were taken as part of the government’s development agenda under the URAAN Pakistan programme, covering sectors including higher education, information technology, physical planning and housing.
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