Minister for
Interior and Planning, Development & Reform, Ahsan Iqbal has said that
people of the Gwadar is the top priority in China Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) and instructed for immediate resolution of water and power supply issues
in the port city.
He expressed
these views while presiding a high level meeting on Gwadar projects at Planning
Commission, Islamabad on Tuesday. The meeting was
attended by Secretary Planning Shoaib Ahmad Saddiqui, Chief Secretary
Balochistan Aurangzeb Haque, senior officials from line ministries and
government of Balochistan, Chinese Embassy. Officials of Gwadar Development
Authority and Ministry of Energy have briefed the participants on the Gwadar
Master City Plan, Power projects and water supply issues of Gwadar. Federal
Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the plan for Gwadar city must be a comprehensive
document, including all the aspect of a modern port city and in line with
requirements of CPEC. He instructed that the plan should ensure provision of an
integrated rail, road and air transport infrastructure system. Ministers
further highlighted that the Gwadar Master City Plan must cover the present and
future maritime trends and assessment of other regional ports.
“To make
Gwadar, a competitive port, the plan should come up with solutions” Minister
remarked while commenting on the briefing by GDA. He also instructed to induct
a senior and qualified expert on regional and urban planning in the review
committee made for this project. Minister also directed that mushroom
growth of private sector residential area be discourage prior to completion of
Gwadar City Master Plan. Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, a one year
project at the cost of US $ 4 million (Chinese Grant) was launched in August
2017. It envisages preparation of a detail master plan including City planning
and urban design, City transportation planning and design, Energy, Technology
and Connectivity Infrastructure and Policies, Port City Economic Planning,
Community Participation & Empowerment, Disaster Risk Management and
integrated Business Development Plan for City and Port etc.
The
participants further discussed in detail the issues of water and power supply
in Gwadar City. Federal Minister, Ahsan Iqbal maintained that people of Gwadar
is the top priority, and instructed that maximum benefits be offered to local
community under CPEC. Minister directed that besides expediting CPEC projects
of Water and Power Plant, alternate arrangements should be made to address the
problem on war footing. Officials of GDA and Ministry of Energy have presented
a number of solutions to resolve the water supply and power issues. Currently,
CPEC projects of Necessary Facilities of Fresh Water Treatment, Water Supply
and Distribution at the cost of US$ 130 and 300MW Coal Based Power Project at
the cost of US $600 are under implementation in Gwadar. These projects will
meet the power and water demands of local community and the modern expending
port city of Gwadar.
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