Govt pushing for due share in CPEC: Kamal

CM laments province received 2.5 per cent grant in form of Chinese investment in last five years

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal has said the provincial government is trying to ensure provincial share in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He was addressing the provincial assembly session chaired by Deputy Speaker Sardar Babar Musakhel on Tuesday.

The chief minister said the provincial government had to get 10 billion dollars in the wake of CPEC but the province remained deprived of its due share as it only received 2.5 per cent share in the last five years. Only two projects can be seen in the form of Gwadar Port and Hub Power Plant, he added.

“Instead of mass transit train and Pat Feeder water supply schemes, the previous government should have built new dams for Quetta but without proper vision they introduced unnecessary projects,” said Kamal.



He also said that his government in last four months took various bold decisions, which previous regimes were reluctant to take.

The CM said: “In five cabinet meetings, we approved more than 70 decisions in the better interest of Balochistan”.
In one of those meetings, the government announced it will lend provincial land on rental or lease basis to investors as people of Balochistan were the owners of their land, he added.
Moreover, the CM briefed about the government plans for health and education sectors. He said an emergency has been imposed in these two sectors and implementation of new reforms was underway.

He also said Chief Minister District Development Fund has been made accessible at union council levels.

Kamal said: “Recruitments have been announced in the provincial departments. We have decided to launch a mechanism that would provide all assistance to applicants to apply in their native districts and they won’t have the trouble of travelling to Quetta for applying”.

He added the provincial cabinet, by taking all departments on board, was working on annual Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) while 144 non-functional schools were re-opened in Naseerabad division.

The chief minister reiterated that self-accountability was imperative in Balochistan. He said that the incumbent government had laid down the foundation of good governance in the province and the provincial government has been fostering culture of rule of the masses.

The provincial leadership believes in self-accountability, Kamal said, adding that soon accountability process would be launched in the province to fulfill all legalities for providing relief to the public.

“Though Balochistan remained the least developed province of the country, it has rich cultural values and customs. Following those cultural values we have to run the house with tribal traditions rather than discussing issues on personal basis,” Kamal said, stressing upon joint efforts to address public issues.



 

Meanwhile, MPA Sanaullah Baloch said the province was facing a lot of problems due to drought, urging the provincial government to take steps to ensure provision of facilities to the stricken region.

To this, Kamal said no one can stop a drought because it comes about under a natural climate cycle but the provincial government was making earnest efforts to mitigate the situation and provide relief to the affected people.

He added the government has established Water Task Force comprising environmental experts. They would launch survey in all drought-hit regions and present their report.

Meanwhile, he congratulated Advocate Malik Sikandar for becoming the leader of opposition.