Vital projects being removed from CDWP agenda

[LRE]

Vital projects being removed from CDWP agenda
RECORDER REPORT
ISLAMABAD (September 16 2008): A large number of ministries face serious setback as their important development projects are being removed from the agenda of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP), and the schemes are being replaced with politically motivated projects.

Sources told Business Recorder on Monday that CDWP will meet on September 18, but the agenda had been revised three times to accommodate projects being launched in the constituencies of PPP leaders, sitting on most of the powerful seats in the government.

According to the original agenda, water and power ministry had sought Rs 116.60 billion for Diamer Basha dam's land acquisition and resettlement plan, and Rs 0.65 billion for detailed engineering design and tender documents of Munda dam.

However, the Munda dam project has been removed from the agenda, which is a serious setback for the water and power ministry that is under serious criticism for power shortage, currently faced by the country. Munda dam is an important project. It has already been delayed, and putting it off the agenda would dent the water and power division efforts expedite the project.

It is still unclear that Diamer Basha dam land acquisition and resettlement plan would make it to the final agenda, to be taken up by the CDWP later this week. This would be the first meeting of the CDWP in the current financial year, during which the government is facing resource crunch for taking the development agenda ahead.

Sources said that government high-ups are more concerned about the development schemes in Multan and Larkana. To accommodate these schemes, important projects in infrastructure sector are being ignored, they added. According to agenda, the meeting was to take up 52 development projects, costing over Rs 322 billion, including a foreign exchange component (FEC) of Rs 117.96 billion. Since the agenda is under revision, nothing could be said for sure how many of these projects would stay for consideration of the meeting.

In the energy sector, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is also seeking Rs 139.01 billion for Chashma Nuclear Power Project, Units 3 and 4. Pakistan expects to get foreign assistance of Rs 99.53 billion for establishing the two units.

Besides this, the water and power ministry is also demanding Rs 6.43 billion for import of power from Tajikistan. The ministry also forwarded a plan of conducting feasibility study for supply of canal water to Thar Coal Power Project. However, the ministry gave no details of the required allocation for the study. Sources said that late on Monday, a new agenda of the meeting was circulated.

Food and agriculture has three projects worth Rs 10.289 billion. The devolution and area development sector consist of two projects worth Rs 872.391 million. The education sector has five projects worth Rs 1.848 billion. The agenda shows six projects for water resources sector with a total cost of Rs 11.364 billion.

The energy sector consists of 11 projects worth Rs 267.936 billion. The environment sector consists of four developmental projects worth Rs 1.956 billion. The forestry and wildlife sector has a single project namely, 'Rehabilitation of denuded forest areas through sowing and planning and development of farm/social forestry with community participation in northern areas', with a cost of Rs 170.869 million.

The governance sector consists of three projects worth Rs 6.163 billion. The health sector has a single project worth Rs 796.050 million. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has eight development projects with a total cost of Rs 5.912 billion. Transport and communication sectors have five development projects worth Rs 12.888 billion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2008