ISLAMABAD: A Parliamentary committee, comprising of members from both the Houses, is monitoring the progress of construction work of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including its western route that stretches over 850 kilometres of highways.
An official of an official of Ministry of Communications told APP Monday that the western route includes upgradation of the Zhob-Mughal Kot section of the Dera Ismail Khan-Qila Saifullah Highway (N-50) and the Qila Saifullah-Waigam Rud Road section of the Multan-Dera Ghazi Khan-Qilla Saifullah Highway (N-70), reported Radio Pakistan.
The Zhob-Mughal Kot section is 81 kilometres long and its upgradation will cost Rs9 billion, and is expected to be completed by 2018. The Qilla Saifullah-Waigam Rud section is 128km long and will cost around Rs8b. He said that work on Zhob-Mughal Kot Section of N-50 and Dera Ismail Khan-Mughal Kot section was is going on with full pace.
In Balochistan, construction work on Gwadar-Hoshab-Biseema-Sorab Road and Khuzdar-Biseema Road is going on. To a question about allocations in the Public Sector Developmetn Programme (PSDP) he said Rs 10,000 million have been allocated for construction of Islamabad-Mianwali-DI Khan CPEC Route including land acquisition and technical study (CPEC).
Rs 2,000 million, he said, have been earmarked for rehabilitation of D.I. Khan Mughalkot 50 km Section. N-50 (FERP Phase-II). Dualization of DI Khan to Kuchlak (531Km) Technical Study is in progress.
Dualization of Quetta-Kalat-Surab section (211 Kms) Technical Study is in progress,he said adding that Rs 3,000 million have been allocted Zhob Mughal Kot 81 km N-50 (NHDSIP, ADB). He said that Rs 2,500 million have been allocated for Widening and Improvement of N-85 Hoshab-Nag-Basima-Surab Road (459 km) (Khuzdar,Panjgur).
The Communication Ministry official told that Rs 2,800 million have been allocated for Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab Section (200km) of Gwader-Ratodero Road (892 km) M-8, including Khuzdar Shahdakot -Ratodero (143km) -(GwadarTurbat-Khuzdar in Baluchistan and Kamber, Shahdadkot and Larkana in Sindh.