Balochistan Assembly passes budget

The Balochistan Assembly unanimously approved the 177.12 billion budget for the financial year 2010-11 on Monday.

Provincial finance minister Mir Asim Kurd presented 52 demands for grants for approval during the session chaired by Speaker Aslam Bhootani.

The House adopted 52 demands for grants to the tune of Rs117.12 billion. Non-development expenditure has been estimated at Rs90.79 billion, while Rs26.32 billion has been set aside for development.

Kurd assured lawmakers that their suggestions would be considered in a meeting with Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani. He said all lawmakers would be taken on board while finalising annual development projects.

Referring to a point raised by PML-Q legislator Jaffar Mandokhel, the finance minister said the government would reform the Planning and Development Department to make it more effective. “We will sit together and devise a strategy about development projects,” he added.

Kurd said that if funds had been used in an effective manner, problems confronted in the health and education sectors would have been addressed much earlier.

He said the government had received resources under the National Financial Commission (NFC) Award and is also utilising an overdraft of Rs17.5 billion, which will be paid by the federal government.

Kurd said that the government had taken steps in all sectors keeping in view the problems faced by the people of the province. “The government has revived the Levies Force and allocated Rs1 billion for its restoration to its previous status. A huge sum of money has been allocated for maintaining peace in the province while salaries of uniformed persons have been increased by 100 per cent,” he added.

The minister said the government had received Rs1 billion less from provincial revenues, but did not cite any reason for the loss.

Kurd said the government had established the Balochistan Investment Board and allocated Rs12 billion for this purpose in the budget.

“It will be helpful to invest in certain sectors, so that the province can stand on its own feet and generate substantial revenue,” he added.

The minister also announced a two-month salary bonus for the Balochistan Assembly staff and employees of the MPA Hostel.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2010.