ECNEC approves 4 projects costing over Rs448 bn

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved four development projects, mostly in Punjab province, involving an estimated cost of Rs448.36bn.
Three of the four schemes costing Rs322bn are based in Punjab
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) had already cleared these projects on technical grounds and recommended to Ecnec their formal approval.
The Ecnec approved Punjab Arterial Roads Improvement Programme (PARIP) at a total estimated cost of Rs129.944bn.
The project, sponsored by the Punjab government, envisages the construction of 535-km of dual carriageway highway sections between various cities in Punjab.
The PARIP is to be spread over Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Layyah, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, Okara, Pakpattan and Sahiwal in Punjab.
The executing agency of the project is Planning and Development Board, Punjab.
About Rs14.164bn funding for the project would be arranged by the Punjab government. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) would provide Rs64.972bn while Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) would finance the remaining part of Rs50.808bn.
The project involves construction of 535-km section of a dual carriageway highway between various cities in Punjab.
The project would involve rehabilitation of existing carriageway as well as new construction of a second carriageway within the ‘Right of Way’ available and acquired where needed. It is meant to improve the transportation system through upgrade and dualisation of the highway network.
The meeting also conditionally approved Punjab Rural Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Project (PRSWSSP) amounting to Rs96.202bn ($553 million) to be executed by Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company in 16 tehsils of mostly southern Punjab with directions to reduce its implementation time and carry out it initially as pilot project in some tehsils and submit its report to Ecnec for further consideration.
The project has been designed to provide basic civic amenities such as water supply, sanitation and solid waste management in rural areas of selected tehsils of Punjab.
The World Bank has already approved $442 million financing to projects to be mostly implemented in southern districts of Punjab and support vulnerable rural communities in Punjab through improved water supply and sanitation infrastructure services.
The project prioritises rural settlements, where water contamination and poor sanitation practices are more prevalent, causing high levels of illness and child stunting.
The World Bank expects the project to help more than six million rural residents in the poorest districts of Punjab to reduce child stunting and address areas at high risk to droughts and water scarcity.
Ecnec also approved Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway project to be executed on build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode at a total cost of Rs95.81bn.
The project envisages construction of 4-lane access-controlled 117.20-km in length motorway from Kharian to Rawalpindi.
Ecnec also approved Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme K-IV, 260 MGD Phase –I at a revised cost of Rs126.405bn. — ERMD