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PAKISTAN, ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Thursday approved 44 projects during its meeting.
Talking to newsmen here after the meeting, Minister for Information and Broadcast Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the ECNEC considered 26 projects including 17 ongoing and 27 new projects, adding that the total cost of new projects was about Rs.1136.30 billion while that of the ongoing ones is Rs.82.30 billion.
The ECNEC approved six projects, costing Rs.37.49 billion, including FEC Rs.18.44 billion for all Pakistan, the minister said.
The main projects approved by ECNEC include construction of Diamer Basha Dam, revival of Karachi Circular Railway as Modern Commuter system, procurement/manufacture of 202 new design passenger coaches and Duber Khawar hydropower project (130 MW).
Reportedly, the Council gave approval to 6 projects, costing Rs.37.04 billion, for Punjab province, 10 projects of Rs.145.97 billion for Sindh, 7 projects costing Rs.22.02 billion for Balochistan and 6 projects costing Rs.36.61 billion for NWFP.
The Economic Council also considered two projects costing Rs.16.24 billion for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 6 projects worth Rs.909.03 billion for Northern Areas and one project costing 14.21 billion for FATA.
Of these, 32 projects, costing Rs.1170.70 including FEC of Rs.363.03 billion are related to infrastructure development while 7 projects costing Rs.44.36 billion of social sector and one project of Rs.3.54 billion of other nature.