Ecnec approves Karachi Circular Railways, 19 other projects

[Naveed Yaseen]

ZAHEER ABBASI
ISLAMABAD (September 04 2009): The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 20 projects worth Rs 260 billion, including Karachi Circular Railways (KCR). The other projects approved by the ECNEC included 16 projects pertaining to water sector, and one each for Pakistan Railways and Azad Kashmir.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the ECNEC, presided over by the Finance Minister, approved the Karachi Circular Railways project, but also decided to have a third party evaluation of Rs 128.60 billion project to ensure transparency in utilisation of funds. The Minister said similar projects would also be initiated in other big cities to facilitate the people.

He said that third party evaluation would not mean delay in implementation of the project. Kaira said the ECNEC had approved another project of Pakistan Railways for importing 202 coaches, costing Rs 15.9 billion. The coaches will be imported along with the already planned import of 75 locomotives from China. He said that the project was approved by the ECNEC after the Railway Minister presented Pakistan Railways rehabilitation and improvement plan.

"The majority of 16 projects the ECNEC considered and approved belonged to water sector and small provinces have been given preference in this regard in line with the government policy to lessen their sense of deprivation," said the Minister for Information. He said that meeting approved 10 small dams worth Rs 2.5 billion, of which Rs 800 million would go to Balochistan, Rs 700 million to NWFP, Rs 500 million to Sindh and Rs 500 million to Punjab for the purpose.

Apart from these, the meeting approved Rs 23.42 billion for reconstruction of Khanki Barrage that was constructed in 1872 on river Chenab, but its utilisation life has expired. A sum of Rs 1.873 billion was approved for rehabilitation of Sukkur Barrage, Rs 4.537 for Kabul River and Warsak canal system that would help NWFP in irrigation of land.

To a question, he said that Kabul River and Warsak canal system would bring a lot of areas under water command and there was no issue between the two countries on this project. The ECNEC approved Rs 4.48 billion and Rs 1.961 billion for Satpara and Sabakzai dams respectively and Rs 10.722 billion for the project under the name of Payara Kashmir for the social sector development of border areas in Kashmir.

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