July 10, 2015
News
NEC approves proposals on energy, communication
* Finance minister says arrangements for foreign funding for all projects must be made in advance to avoid delay
OnlineISLAMABAD: The National Economic Council’s (NECs) Executive Committee, in its meeting chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday, approved important proposals relating to energy and communication.
At the outset, a proposal from the Ministry of Water and Power on evacuation of power from 1,200MW Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG)-based combined Cycle Power Plant at Balloki, was discussed at length.
The committee chairman, while approving the proposal at a rationalised cost of Rs 3433 million, remarked that possibility of foreign funding by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) might be explored for this project.
He observed that the arrangements for foreign funding must be made well in advance for all projects to avoid any difficulty or delay in undertaking such projects. This project, he said, aimed at evacuation of 1,200MW power from the proposed RLNG-based combined cycle plant in district Kasur to upcountry load centres by construction of 500KV transmission line (40KM) from the plant to Lahore South Grid Station.
The NEC executive committee discussed and approved the Ministry of Water and Power’s proposal regarding Warsak Hydro Electric Power Station (2nd Rehabilitation) project at a rationalised cost of Rs 22,254 million with federal executive council (FEC) of Rs 11,283.519 million. The rehabilitation works under phase-II would address the main existing problems of the Warsak site to enhance generation capacity from 193MW (as of 2013) to 243MW.
Another proposal from the Ministry of Water and Power was regarding the construction of the Basol Dam, 54KM North of Ormara Town, Gwadar was also approved. The total cost of the project is Rs 9,636 million without FEC, with cost sharing (on equal basis) by the federal and provincial governments of the water supply and conveyance system amounting to Rs 2,795 million.
The main objective of the project is to provide irrigation water to an area of 11,638 acres through efficient pipeline conveyance system. Under the project, construction of a network of lined watercourses in the command area of the dam would be carried out. Further, the project would ensure water supplies to the people of Ormara town and its surroundings as well as Jinnah Naval Base.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s proposal on detailed design and construction of 69MW Lawi Hydro Power Project in Chitral, was approved by the NEC executive committee after detailed deliberations. The project would cost a total of Rs 20,087million with FEC of RS 4,146.34 million.
The project would supply cheaper electricity to the people of Drosh and Chitral valleys constructing 69MW Lawi hydropower station on Shishi river, a left bank tributary of Chitral river. The unused power would be transmitted to the National Grid.
The Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJKs) proposal on Flood 2014 Emergency Reconstruction and Resilience Project was approved at a reviewed total estimated cost of Rs 6,641.00 million including FEC of RS 5,976.90 million as Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan. The project envisages re-construction and rehabilitation of 234KM length of damaged roads due to flash floods of 2014 in various districts of AJK.
The NEC committee considered and approved the Disaster and Climate Resilience Improvement Project (DCRIP) in Punjab. The total cost of the project is 10,240 million. The project is aimed at the social and economic recovery of flood-affected areas through the restoration and reconstruction of critical infrastructure to safer standards.
The project has been conceived to build capacity of the Punjab government in the domain of disaster and climate change prevention and management.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk