Balochistan finance dept’s revenues increase by 40%

CM Jam Kamal Khan calls for steps to boost provincial economy

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal has said there is a need to make the province more self-sufficient by developing its own natural resources.

“Time has come to increase Balochistan’s self-sufficiency. Instead of looking towards the Centre for funds we have to boost our industries and departments in order to yield positive results,” Kamal said while chairing a meeting on Friday to review progress on new and ongoing development schemes.

Provincial ministers – Tariq Magsi, Meer Zahoor Buledi, Arif Jan Hassani, Haji Noor Dummar, Planning and Development Additional Chief Secretary Abdul Rehman Buzdar, Chief Minister Inspection Team (CMIT) Chairman Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta, and other senior government officials attend the meeting.

“Our long coastal strip and natural resources can give a boost to the provincial economy,” he noted.

The CM also vowed to intensify development projects included in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2019-20.  “The economic development of Pakistan would emerge from Balochistan but only if we were ready to focus on the development schemes,” he said.

Secretary Irrigation Akbar Baloch told the meeting that there are 73 ongoing water development schemes while 170 new projects have been included in the provincial budget. The Nolang Dam would ease water issues in provincial greenbelt, he said.

Secretary Finance Noorul Haq Baloch sheds light on the increase in provincial revenue through tax-collections. He said the Finance Department’s revenues have jumped up by 40%. “We have released Rs21 billion for development schemes which are a record.”

Balochistan CM hoped that the province would progress through special economic zones.

Kamal also chaired a meeting to review progress on the Quetta Development Package and ordered to expedite implementation of the package, which, he said, would enhance the beauty of the provincial capital.

“The government of Balochistan has been utilising all resources to restore the beauty of Quetta and has hired services of town planners for this purpose.” He also announced to supervise the expansion of Sariyab, Sabzal and joint roads through the CMIT.

Chief Secretary Capt (retd) Fazeel Asghar, Secretary Home Haider Ali, Quetta Commissioner Usman Ali Khan and district officials were present in the meeting.

The CM stressed on gearing up development projects in the provincial capital in order to change the face of Balochistan, “I would visit the development sites in order to monitor the quality of work and progress on the projects and would also take public opinion on these schemes.”

Kamal assures support to the legal fraternity

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal has said the lawyers have been playing a vital role in societal development and assured the legal fraternity of full support for resolution of their issues.

The chief minister made these remarks while meeting a delegation of lawyers in the federal capital.

The delegation, comprising members of the Balochistan Bar Council, the Quetta Bar Association and the High Court Bar Association, briefed the CM about their issues.

He assured them to address their concerns on a priority basis and said they are an educated part of the society that has been using their expertise for the provision of justice. “Unfortunately we lost our senior lawyers in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks a few years back at Quetta Civil Hospital,” he said.

The CM said the government has been mulling over allotment of land for the Balochistan Bar Council, funds for a law college, better healthcare for lawyers and land for Khuzdar and Loralai circuit bench.

“The incumbent government has started legislation which was completely neglected during the previous governments,” he noted. He told the delegation about the economic prospects in Balochistan through special economic zones and asked them to share their legal experience in this regard.

He pledged full support and cooperation for the resolution of their issues.

Meanwhile, the CM ordered the Chief Minister Inspection Team (CMIT) to launch an inquiry into corruption and irregularities of Rs100 million in the construction of a bus and truck stand in Dukki.

He directed the CMIT to start immediate action against executive engineer (EXEN) and contractor of the project following the BEDA Act and submit the report to the anti-corruption department in order to register the first information report (FIR) against the corrupt officials.

Following a complaint by former MNA Sardar Israr Tareen and directives of the chief minister, CMIT visited the Dukki bus and truck stand.

“The total cost of the project was Rs100 million but it cost was documented as Rs68.25 million,” the CMIT report said, adding that “when the team visited the site, nothing was constructed”.

The report further said the Communication and Works (C&W) department had the responsibility to complete the project but they had not even appointed the project director for it.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2019.