ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved 15 development projects worth Rs249.21 billion during its meeting held on Tuesday under the chair of Federal Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal.

The projects were related to the Ministry of Housing and Works, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, Ministry of Communication, Power Division and Ministry of Railways.

The CDWP recommended Umbrella PC-1 of the Flood Protection Sector Project-III (FPSP-III)-Updated worth Rs194.6b to the executive committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval. The Ministry of Water Resources is the sponsoring agency of the project while Provincial Irrigation Departments will execute the project.

The major objectives of the project are to bring reduction in flood losses to private & public infrastructure in an economically sound manner, protect urban & rural settlements, agricultural lands and upgrade existing flood forecasting & warning facilities for better flood forecasting.

The forum also recommended revised Sehat Sahulat Program as per its approved cost of Rs31.93 billion to the ECNEC. Similarly, the CDWP also approved other development projects, including construction of interchange on Hazara Motorway costing Rs1.82 billion, D.I Khan road development package costing Rs2.80 billion, construction of railway underpass Gojra, District Toba Tek Singh amounting Rs1.44 billion, D.I Khan road development package worth Rs4.87 billion, renovation and construction of offices, women barracks at the office of the superintendent Railway Police worth Rs310.375 million, establishment of capacity building & institutional strengthen in Planning Commission worth Rs2.02 billion, electrification of villages at Dera Bugti worth Rs 960.093 million and rehabilitation of firefighting system at KMC worth Rs1.83 billion.