ISLAMABAD: Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Thursday approved 20 projects worth Rs 260 billion including Karachi Circular Railway System to provide modern transport services to the people, said Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira.

Briefing the media persons about the decisions taken by the ECNEC meeting chaired by Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen here, he said the project like Karachi Circular Railway would be expanded to the other major cities of the country.

The Minister said the meeting also decided to conduct third party evaluation of the project costing Rs 128.60 billion with the sole objective to ensure transparency and saving of cost.

Qamar Zaman Kaira made it clear the third party evaluation would not affect the overall cost as well as execution of the project.

The Minister said the other main project approved was to allow Pakistan Railways to purchase 202 Rail coaches to make the organization more viable and profit-making entity.

The Minister said Pakistan Railways was in dire need of such coaches and the ECNEC has accorded the approval for the Rs 15.9 billion project in view of the reforms being introduced in the organisation.

Similarly, he said, 16 other water related projects were approved including 10 small dams projects to ensure water storage and make Pakistan self-sufficient in food area.

These all projects would cost Rs 57 billion, the Minister said adding that in the current financial year the government has allocated an amount of Rs 2.5 billion for the purpose.

He said the amount earmarked for the small dams in four provinces included for Balochistan Rs 800 million,NWFP 700 million,Sindh Rs 500 m,and Punjab Rs 500 million.

“We will try our best to complete small dams projects to ensure autarky and more such dams would also be constructed in other feasible areas”, Kaira said while replying to a question. link