CDWP clears Rs17bn projects, refers Rs419bn to ECNEC

June 18, 2026 (MLN): The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal, approved six development projects worth Rs16.9bn and recommended six major projects totaling Rs418.8bn to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval.

The meeting was attended by Planning Secretary Awais Manzur Sumra, members of the Planning Commission, federal secretaries, provincial planning officials and representatives of relevant ministries.

The projects reviewed covered the power, information technology, housing and water sectors and were aligned with the government’s URAAN Pakistan development agenda.

In the power sector, the CDWP approved five projects worth over Rs14bn aimed at deploying Asset Performance Management Systems (APMS) for distribution transformers in the service areas of SEPCO, QESCO, PESCO and HAZECO, along with a capacity-building initiative under the Boosting Energy Security through Transmission in Pakistan (BEST-PAK) program.

Two major power projects with a combined cost of nearly Rs219bn were referred to ECNEC, including an APMS project for LESCO worth Rs24.1 billion and the installation of reactive power compensation devices in the national grid network worth Rs195 billion.

During the meeting, Ahsan Iqbal directed authorities to standardize project cost estimates across major distribution companies, including LESCO, PESCO, QESCO, HESCO and SEPCO, and emphasized the need for proper load assessments and procurement expertise in large-scale projects.

He said energy security remains a key pillar of the URAAN Pakistan initiative and is essential for economic growth, industrial competitiveness, exports and employment generation.

In the information technology sector, the CDWP approved the Rs2.89bn “Smart Islamabad Initiative (Phase-I),” aimed at establishing an integrated smart governance and security platform to improve inter-agency coordination, public service delivery and urban management.

The minister directed that sector-wise outcomes be clearly defined in the project document to facilitate impact assessment.

Meanwhile, the Rs43.1bn Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement Project, financed by the World Bank, was referred to ECNEC.

The project seeks to modernize land administration through digitization of revenue records, cadastral maps, land surveys and state land inventory systems.

The Planning Minister instructed officials to reconcile exchange-rate related cost variations with the Government of Punjab before submitting the project to ECNEC.

In the housing sector, the CDWP referred the Rs60.5bn wastewater treatment plant project at Babu Sabu, Lahore, to ECNEC.

The project, proposed for financing by Agence Française de Développement, aims to treat Lahore’s sewage before discharge, reduce water pollution, improve public health and support climate-related objectives.

The forum also referred the revised Rs64.1bn Jalalpur Irrigation Canal Project to ECNEC.

The scheme is primarily financed by the Asian Development Bank and is intended to improve irrigation infrastructure and agricultural productivity in Punjab.

A committee headed by the Member Infrastructure was formed to finalize project costs before the scheme’s submission.

Additionally, the revised Rs32.1bn Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, was recommended to ECNEC.

The project aims to reduce poverty, improve livelihoods and strengthen economic opportunities in underdeveloped districts of Southern Punjab, in line with the government’s broader poverty alleviation and economic transformation agenda.

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