ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Thursday directed the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority to complete the under implementation projects on fast track basis by regaining confidence of the Chinese companies.
“According to my personal sources, the Chinese are not happy with the current progress of CPEC projects as they have approached me to help remove the bottlenecks,” Chairman of the Committee Senator Saleem H. Mandviwala said.
The Chair asked Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor to take the responsibility of early completion of under construction projects and removing all bottlenecks in way of approval of the under consideration mega projects including up-gradation of ML-1 railway project and the hydro power projects.
“My number one priority is to regain the Chinese confidence,” Khalid Mansoor said adding that in this regard he had personally met with representatives of 40 out of 135 Chinese companies working in Pakistan.
“I will take responsibility of implementation of the projects and I will go myself to all the concerned ministries and divisions to implement the CPEC projects,” he added. Mandwiwala deplored the government departments were very slow and they needed to be pushed to expedite the implementation process.
Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar responding to the complaints of Senator Danish Kumar about ignoring Balochistan under CPEC, said in the first phase of CPEC, two third projects were related to power which had minimum impact on the local area.
He said lot of development work was going on in the province particularly in Gwadar such as desalination plants, technical training institutes, Eastbay Expressway etc.
Apart from the projects under CPEC, a special historical package of Rs 560 billion had also been announced for the development of least developed Southern Balochistan districts under which IT parks, industrial zones, power plants, dams, and road projects would be developed.
Further he said “we are working on four priority Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under CPEC, one of which was being constructed in Gwadar.” The one named South Zone has been completed at an area of 60 acres while the other gigantic 2500 acres North Zone is under construction in the city, he added. –Agencies
