Govt for more districts in Quetta division

CM says people are settling in cities due to lack of facilities in rural areas

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has directed to set up a steering committee for the formation of more districts in Quetta division.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by CM Kamal the other day in the provincial capital.

Provincial Agriculture Minister Asghar Khan Achakzai, CM’s Adviser Malik Naeem Bazai, Parliamentary Secretary Bushra Rind, MPA Mubeen Khilji, Balochistan Chief Secretary Fazeel Asghar, Quetta commissioner, Board of Revenue senior member and Law secretary attended the meeting.

Balochistan government is mulling over to establish new districts and tehsils in view of the growing population in Quetta division and to offer better facilities to the city dwellers.

“Due to lack of facilities in rural areas, majority of population in Balochistan is settled in urban areas, which is causing a shortage of resources,” the chief minister said.

Quetta commissioner briefed the meeting regarding the proposed new districts in the provincial capital.

Kamal directed the Revenue Board member to set up a steering committee to review the matter and sought a report within 15 days.

The chief minister also approved additional two tehsils and two districts in Quetta division and directed the commissioner to prepare a database for the purpose.

He lamented that the governments in the past paid no heed to the issue.

“Unfortunately, the previous governments only presented a temporary solution to the growing population problem, which did not yield any results,” he said.

Kamal said by the establishment of new districts and tehsils, the administrative affairs of the province would be managed in a better way.

He noted there was no need of setting up committees if the departments worked properly.

Report of 112 uplift schemes

The Chief Minister Inspection Team (CMIT) has concluded investigations on 112 development schemes across Balochistan during previous year of 2019-20 and submitted final reports to Balochistan chief minister.

According to details, in a bid to ensure transparency and quality in provincial development schemes, Chief Minister Kamal has fully authorised CMIT to probe all schemes.

Following the directives of the CM Kamal, the Chief Minister Inspection Team has probed 50 schemes of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) while investigated implementation of 39 development schemes across the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2020.