11 projects worth Rs123bn cleared

ISLAMABAD: The Central Devel­opment Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday approved 11 development projects with a total estimated cost of over Rs123 billion.

The meeting of the CDWP, presided over by Planning Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal, approved seven projects with a total cost of Rs15.174bn and recommended four others worth Rs108.16bn to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval.

The meeting approved the establishment of the Daanish School in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Haveli-Kahuta) with a budget of Rs4.688bn, following a request from the newly elected AJK Premier Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore ahead of the upcoming state elections. The CDWP was instructed to rationalise the cost based on the previously approved Daanish Schools PC-I, which was approximately Rs3.9bn.

In the health sector, two revised projects were undertaken. The first, titled “Upgradation of DHQ Hospital District Hafizabad,” valued at Rs7.93bn, was recommended to Ecnec. The second, “National Health Support Programme (KP component),” worth Rs1.335bn, was approved by the CDWP.

“Prime Minister’s Scheme for Enabling Youth with Physical Challenges at HEIs through Electric Wheelchairs, Laptops for Blinds, Audio-Visual Aids — HEC” worth Rs1.846bn was also approved.

The meeting also approved a revised project titled “Land Records Management Information System in the Rural Areas of ICT, Islamabad” worth Rs185.691 million.

In the physical planning and housing sector, two projects were approved. These included “Construction of Admin Block of Supreme Court Branch Registry at Quetta” worth Rs231.604m and “Pakistan Audit & Accounts Academy (PAAA) Islamabad” worth Rs3.11bn.

Three power sector-related projects were presented at the meeting to secure foreign funding.

The CDWP also approved a revised “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irrigated Agriculture Improvement Project” at a cost of Rs50.956bn, which was also recommended to Ecnec. The project is proposed to be financed through World Bank funding of $171m (80pc of the total cost) and farmers’ contribution of 20pc.

The project includes rehabilitation and improvement of 14,260 community watercourses across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including merged districts, installation of high-efficiency irrigation systems (drip and sprinkler) on 11,650 acres, construction of 5,000 water storage tanks, provision of 500 laser land levelling units, and training and mobilisation of 14,260 Water Users Associations. Additional components include public awareness campaigns on water conservation, promotion of climate-smart agriculture and pilot demonstrations of modern irrigation technologies.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2026

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