ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Monday approved a project for the launch of Pakistan’s first communication satellite system (Paksat-IR) in collaboration with China, a senior official told Daily Times, adding that the meeting also approved 12 important projects related to nuclear and conventional energy.
Dr Akram Sheikh, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, presided over the CDWP meeting. Later briefing the media, Asif Sheikh, spokesman for the Planning and Development Division, said that the CDWP had approved a total of 69 development projects worth Rs 97.9 billion and recommended another 19 development projects worth Rs 82 billion for approval to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
According to the senior official, the projects related to the launch of Pakistan’s first communication satellite including an approval of Rs 439.817 million for the Satellite Bus Development Facility project; Rs 323.612 million for Development of a Satellite Assembly Integration and Test (SAINT) facility; Rs 96.588 million for establishment of a SAINT support workshop; Rs 733.177 million for the Paksat project (Phase-1) extension; Rs 41 million for establishment of an Atmosphere Data Receiving and Processing Centre (ADRPC); Rs 13.94 billion for Paksat-IR; and Rs 178 million for upgrading the precision machine shop. The official said that Pakistan and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the launch of Paksat-IR during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s recent visit to Pakistan.
Another important project approved in the meeting was the President’s Education Sector Reforms Programme (provision of missing links) with an allocation of Rs 24 billion.
Sheikh said that 36 projects related to infrastructure development were approved with an allocation of Rs 62.3 billion. He added that Rs 25.4 billion was allocated for 19 social sector-related projects while Rs 6.9 billion was allocated for agriculture and science and technology projects.
The projects approved include nine for transport and communication, 12 for energy, 13 for physical planning and housing, two for social sector, nine for higher education, three for IT, manpower and population, four for governance and environment, one for nutrition, five for agriculture, eight for science and technology, and one for trade and industry.
He said that 12 projects with an allocation of Rs 3.9 billion were approved for Punjab, eight projects of Rs 14.5 billion for Sindh, eight projects of Rs 2.7 billion for the NWFP, three projects of Rs 10 million for Balochistan and one project of Rs 500 million was approved for the Northern Areas. He added that 37 projects of Rs 76.2 billion were approved for all Pakistan, which also include a foreign exchange component of Rs 23.4 billion.
An official who spoke to Daily Times on condition of anonymity said the allocations made for the energy sector projects included Rs 1.040 billion for the rehabilitation of the JABBAN Hydro Power Station; Rs 120.376 million for the Phandar Hydro Power Project’s detailed engineering design and preparation of tender documents; Rs 1.473 billion for the establishment of an Engineering Design Organisation for implementation of a nuclear power programme; Rs 960.7 million for the establishment of nuclear power fuel testing project and complex; Rs 2.4 billion for establishment of a Seamless Tube Plant-1 for the Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex; Rs 2.804 billion for establishment of a fuel fabrication plant (FFP) for the Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex; Rs 4.531 billion for exploration of uranium in Pakistan; Rs 43.540 million for upgrading KANUPP Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering (KINPOE) infrastructure; Rs 538.794 million for upgrading the CHASNPP Centre for Nuclear Training; and Rs 380 million for the establishment of national dosimetry and protection level calibration laboratory.
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