Executive Committee of the National Economic Council?approved various projects worth Rs 600 billion, which had been marred by years due to poor project management. The meeting had already given its consent to several of these plans, but updated cost estimates were still pending.
While charring his maiden ECNEC meeting, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar endorsed 12 projects, including an upward revision in their estimated cost. These schemes have a cumulative cost of Rs 600 billion, which comprised seven projects that were presented for cost estimate revisions, according to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Finance after the meeting.
Sources reported that the government had already diverted Rs 23 billion from the 72 current projects for schemes that were not part of the original annual plan. The following schemes were approved during the meeting:
Project Ministry of Energy (Power Division) 500 KV Sialkot Substation project, funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) at an estimated cost of Rs 31.8 billion
Augmentation of 500 KV and 220 KV transformers at the current grid stations for the removal of NTDC system constraints at a total cost of Rs 15.1 billion
Upgradation of the current 220 kV Vehari substation project to a 500 kV Vehari substation
The construction of the Chasma Right Bank Canal Project at a cost of Rs 189.6 billion?
The Dualisation and Rehabilitation of the KarachiQuetta-Chaman Road (N-25) from Karachi-Kararo and WadhKhuzdar costing Rs 74.7 billion
The Dualisation of the KaraoWadh section of the national highway at a cost of Rs 67.7 billion to be completed in 18 months
The improvement of the Chitral– Booni–Mastuj–Shandur road at an estimated cost of Rs 17.8 billion?