Ecnec okays over Rs395bn infrastructure projects

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Wednesday approved various infrastructure projects having cost of Rs395.8 billion, including the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway. This project will be constructed on Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis through a public-private partnership at revised cost of Rs308.19 billion. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail chaired the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

The ECNEC considered and approved the construction of Hyderabad–Sukkur Motorway on Built, Operate, Transfer (BOT) basis at revised cost of Rs308,194.00 million, with GoP share of Rs10.3 billion, Rs9,500 million as Capital VGF, Rs300 million as NHA establishment charges and Rs500 million as contingencies). The project to be executed by the National Highway Authority (NHA) envisages the construction of 306-km-long, six-lane wide, divided fenced between Hyderabad and Sukkur. The approval of the project is subject to fulfilment of all codal formalities and approval of legislation from the National Assembly.

ECNEC also considered and approved the construction of the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway (LSM) link Highway (04-Lane) connecting LSM to Narang Mandi and Kartarpur Narowal, including Narowal Eastern Bypass at a revised rationalized cost of Rs17,379.949 million. The revised project envisages rehabilitation, dualization and construction of 73-km-long four-lane dual carriageway, connecting Kartarpur with Lahore-Sialkot Motorway and Nankana. The project is to be completed in three years. The ECNEC also discussed and approved the Punjab Urban Lane Systems Enhancement Project (PULSE) at a cost of Rs25,500 million with an FEC of Rs1,378.756 million. The project is to be executed by the Board of Revenue (BoR) through Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to develop cadastral mapping including digital land records of urban, peri-urban and rural areas of the entire Punjab. The project will be carried out through a 100pc loan by the World Bank in 60 months period. The forum also approved the project for the construction of a northern section of the Ring Road (Missing Link), from Warsak Road to Nasir Bagh Road at a cost of Rs16,489.198 million and fully funded and executed by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The project envisages the construction of 6 lanes with a total length of 8.7 kms to be completed in three years.

The ECNEC observed that projects fully funded by provinces with no foreign funding may be exempted from consideration by CDWP and ECNEC. ECNEC discussed and approved the revised project for the construction of Mangi Dam in Balochistan at a cost of Rs13,247.893 million located about 60 kms east of Quetta city on the Khost river. The federal government will bear only 50pc cost of the originally approved PC-I and an increase in cost due to the up-gradation of the power supply grid station and transmission line. Any other increase in cost will be borne by the province from its resources. The 61 meters high concrete gravity dam has a gross reservoir capacity of 36.4 MCM and an annual release of 13.4 MCM. The main objective of the project is to reduce the existing shortfall in the water demand being faced by Quetta city. The proposed Mangi Dam will enable a water supply of 8.1 mgd to Quetta city.

It also approved to two projects in Karachi city, one “Restoration and revamping of Orangi Nullah” at a revised cost of Rs15,007.25 million in Orangi Town, Karachi West district, and other “Restoration and revamping of Gujjar Nullah” at a revised cost of Rs14,854.40 million in Karachi Central district respectively. Projects are being sponsored by NDMA and are to be completed in 21 months.