Govt endorses Rs660 billion improvement ventures

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Wednesday endorsed six improvement ventures worth about Rs660 billion, five of them from the water and power division.

The gathering directed by Finance Minister Asad Umar raised the expenses of the decision Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf’s mark transport venture for Peshawar — Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) — by 38pc and that of Diamer-Bhasha dam venture by 1pc.

The gathering affirmed a proposition of the Ministry of Water Resources to incorporate Tangir Hydropower in the Diamer-Bhasha dam venture that expanded its expense by about Rs5bn — from recently endorsed expense of Rs474bn to new reexamined expense of Rs479.68bn.

Ecnec builds Peshawar mass travel venture cost by 38pc

Educated sources said the extra expense for 15MW Tangir Hydropower Project was endorsed in line with the Water and Power Development Authority to meet vitality prerequisites amid development time of the Diamer-Bhasha dam. Wapda had assessed the expense of the little hydropower venture at Rs6bn. Yet, the sources stated, the Planning Commission had raised genuine protests over the expense of the task, saying it was very nearly multiple times as exorbitant as a typical hydropower venture.

The Wapda administration is accounted for to have disagreed with Prime Minister Imran Khan and disclosed to him that control supply from the national framework to Diamer-Bhasha more than seven to eight years of development period was evaluated to cost about Rs10bn.

The Ecnec was refreshed on the Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor Project with a demand to expand its expense by Rs38pc as alluded by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) a month ago.

The gathering endorsed the changed expense of the task of Rs66.43bn, with June 2019 as the stipulated month of fruition of the undertaking. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government revealed that a few assets would be required for a delicate opening of the undertaking, to be held in March one year from now.

The venture visualizes development of 27.37km committed flag free BRT hall, out of which 11.85km will be on ground, 12.26km hoisted and 3.25km through underpasses. Notwithstanding the primary BRT passageway, extra raised structures having complete length of 2.1km will be built.

The CDWP had alluded the Peshawar BRT undertaking to Ecnec with a reexamined cost gauge of Rs67.95bn and with a guidance for its cost legitimization, which was presently affirmed at Rs66.43bn against unique endorsed cost of Rs49.3bn.

The venture goes for building superb mass travel for Peshawar to trigger urban improvement, exercises and thickness along the BRT passage enhancing financial development other than giving access into the city.

The venture, initially intended to be executed in a year, is as of now past timetable and is relied upon to encourage 472,000 individuals for each day in its underlying stage. It begins from Chamkani on G.T. Street and ends at Karkhano Market on Jamrood Road. It was propelled in December 2017 for consummation in one year, yet is presently anticipated that would be finished in March one year from now.

The gathering additionally endorsed a transmission line venture for power departure from hydropower undertakings of 870MW Suki Kinari in KP’s Mansehra area, 1,124MW Kohala in Muzaffarabad region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 590MW Mahal in Bagh District in AJK, at an expense of Rs79.92bn. The principle target of the undertaking is development of 500kV transmission organize including an aggregate separation of more than 750km up to Lahore to give interconnection offices to departure of power from the previously mentioned activities being built under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Ecnec additionally affirmed Sind Solar Energy Project at an expense of Rs12.84bn. The undertaking means to help the scale up of sun powered power in the area and expanded access to power. The undertaking is required to likewise enhance vitality security and satisfy Pakistan’s worldwide responsibilities on environmental change.

The gathering guided the power division to outfit a report covering all aspects identifying with power creation, its successful departure/transmission and dissemination. The report, Ecnec watched, would help set a course to embrace control extends in future.

Ecnec likewise affirmed recovery venture of Dargai hydroelectric power station in Malakand, KP, at a cost Rs4.050bn. Culmination of the undertaking will help improve the limit of the power station to 22 MW.

The gathering likewise endorsed the Balochistan Water Resource Development Project (Zhob and Mula waterway bowls) at an expense of Rs16.453bn. The venture will profit areas of Muslim Bagh, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Khuzdar, Jhal Magsi and part of Kalat.