Poverty eradication: Poverty a complicated issue: Balochistan CM

Decentralising power to local bodies will reduce poverty says Dr Abdul Malik.

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has said that poverty is a worldwide issue but it is more complicated a problem in Balochistan. “We are constantly struggling to decentralise power to local bodies that would help reduce poverty,” he added.

The CM Balochistan was addressing a conference titled “Community Drive Development” at a local hotel here on Wednesday. This was organized by Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP) in collaboration with European Union and Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN).

He said that dictator Pervez Musharraf ignited a fire in Balochistan that has lasted for one decade. “The people of Balochistan are seekers of love. If you love them they would present you everything but if you glare at them they would put everything at stake to avenge it,” he said.

He said that the coalition government is striving hard to eradicate poverty with fewer resources in hand. However he mentioned the way out of poverty was extremely complicated. “Balochistan is a large province and needs support and focus of the European Union and other international community to help the province get rid of poverty,” the CM said.

Adviser to CM Balochistan on Education Sardar Raza Muhammad Barech, MPA Rahela Durrani, BRSP Chairman Sardar Naseer Tareen and Chairman RSPN Shoaib Sultan Khan also addressed on the occasion.

“We have gained provincial autonomy from Islamabad and are now trying to decentralise power to local bodies,” the CM said. He added that we have decentralised powers in health and educations sectors.

He said it was their party and the government’s policy that power should be decentralised at local bodies as this would create the desired change. Thus the coalition government increased funds of local bodies from one percent to 10 percent. “We have only Rs40 billion for development of Balochistan which is insufficient,” he added.

The CM said that we need to create awareness among the masses to eliminate poverty. “Masses enjoy real power. We should work hard and defeat poverty. Our friends and members of local bodies can play a crucial role in this connection,” he added.

He directed and nominated MPA Rahila Durrani as a focal person to get proposals of NGOs and work out an implementation plan. RSPN chairman Shoaib Sultan Khan earlier had presented a briefing on Chief Minister’s Poverty Reduction Program.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2015.