100% Polio Eradication Needs a Holistic Action Plan: Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar

Dated : 3 January 2019

Minister for Planning, Development & Reform and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar presided a meeting of Central Development Working Party (CDWP) here on Thursday.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Zafar Hasan, Members of Planning Commission and officials from federal and provincial governments.

The CDWP considered two revised projects including Nai Gaj Dam Project and Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication. The forum also considered two position papers relating to Transport & Communication and Housing & Work Division.

The CDWP recommended 2nd revision of Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication worth US$ 986.3 million. The forum was informed that polio will be eradicated from Pakistan by the end of 2019; however two years would be required for follow up and complete eradication of its core reservoirs. Two international organizations of United Nation including UNICEF and WHO are operating with delivery of polio vaccination, supplementing immunization and interruption of wild polio virus in the country.

Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar observed that polio eradication is a national priority and it needs a holistic action plan to ensure zero polio cases in Pakistan as per national and global commitments.

The Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission instructed sponsor agency to devise monitoring mechanism for smooth implementation, obtain provincial government's commitment for reimbursement of loans and run a robust campaign jointly with the provinces to eradicate the core reservoirs where sewerage water is contaminated with poliovirus. He instructed to provide breakup of social mobilization and communication expenditure for the next three years, giving one week time to respond to the observations. The project was provisionally recommended to ECNEC for approval.

Nai Gaj Dam Project 2nd revision worth Rs. 47,732.5 million was also placed before the CDWP.

Minister Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar observed that since the project of Nai Gaj Dam would overcome water shortages, irrigating an area of 28000 Acrs in Sindh Province, hence need to be dealt jointly by the federal as well as Sindh Government. Considering importance of the project, its completion should be expedited without any further delay, remarked Minister PD&R. He instructed that Ministry of Water Resources should resolve designs issues and other observations.

Secretary Water Resources on the occasion sought a time of two weeks to resolve the issues. However, Minister Planning desired that ministry should come up with a response in a week time.

CDWP returned two projects of Transport & Communication Sector and one project of Housing & Works due to non-compliance of earlier decisions. The projects include Construction of Road over Mali Bund, Road from Dumlottee Wells up to link road adjacent to education city, Malir and Construction of RCC pre-stressed Bridge at Lassan Thakral Logran Breela Daigi-Da-Pattan, Mansehra.

CDWP also accorded time extension to three projects without any cost or scope revision, including New Minerals Survey Scheme Phase-VI worth Rs. 1085.3 million, Nutrition Programme for Sindh with estimated cost of Rs. 4117.9 and E-Office Replication at all Divisions of the Federal Government Projects at Islamabad worth Rs. 440.3 million.