ECNEC approves PM’s Rs16.8bn laptop scheme

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), under the chairmanship of Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Wednesday accorded approval to the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme with a cost of Rs16.8 billion.

It is a Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives project, which would be executed by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Islamabad at a rationalised cost of Rs16,801.230 million including FEC of Rs15,166.250 million. The project would be completed in two years from 2023 to 2025.

The ECNEC also considered and approved a project of Aviation Division titled “Modernisation of Hydromet Services of PMD in Pakistan (MHSP)” at a cost of Rs14,498.875 million to be executed in the entire country by the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The project is financed by the World Bank as a component of “Post-flood 2022 Reconstruction Programme”.

A project of Ministry of Water Resources titled “Water Requirement for K-IV Project Improvement of Kalri Baghar Feeder & Keenjhar Lake – Plain Cement Concrete (PCC) Lining of Karli Baghar Feeder Upper-Phase-I Project” to be executed in district Jamshoro and Thatta of Sindh province was also considered and approved. The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs39,942.559 million and it is to be financed at a 50:50 sharing basis by the federal and the provincial government of Sindh. The project is to be executed by the Irrigation Department of the Sindh government.

ECNEC considered and approved a project of the Punjab government titled “Lahore Ring Road-Southern Loop (SL-3) Construction of Road from Raiwind Road up to Multan Road” at the total cost of Rs17,785.850 million without FEC. The project is to be executed by the C&W Dept, and is to be entirely financed by the ADP Punjab government.

The ECNEC also considered and approved a summary of the Ministry of National Food Security & Research regarding project titled “Prime Minister’s National Programme for Solarisation Agriculture Tube-wells Punjab, Sindh, KPK, and Balochistan” and allowed inclusion of existing pumping systems on small dams, ponds, and river/ stream/ nullah ponds, serving the same purpose as tube-wells.

A project of Ministry of Communications was also considered and approved by the ECNEC titled “Construction of Khawazakhela – Besham Expressway (48Km)” at a cost of Rs79,130.878 million without FEC. The project is to be executed by National Highway Authority in districts of Shangla and Swat of KPK province. The project is to be financed entirely through federal PSDP.

Another project of Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training titled “Pakistan Education Fund” was considered and approved in principle at a cost of Rs14,000 million to be executed all over Pakistan by Higher Education Commission, NEST, and M/o FE&PT. The project is to be financed by Federal PSDP 2023-24, to provide scholarships. Lastly, another project of Ministry of Communications titled “Lahore-Sahiwal-Bahawalnagar Motorway (295-km) Phase-I” was also considered and approved at a cost of Rs263,795.863 million to be executed in Districts Bahawalpur, Kasur, Lahore, Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal of Punjab province. The project is to be financed by the federal PSDP.