Balochistan: Supplementary budget worth Rs22.8b approved

Opposition MPA asks how will the govt fill deficit of Rs15b .

QUETTA:

The Balochistan Assembly on Sunday approved the provincial supplementary budget of Rs22.85 billion for 2014-15. The session of the Assembly began two hours later than the scheduled time with Speaker Jan Muhammad Jamali chairing the session.

Minority member Ghansham Das also took oath during the session as Member of the Provincial Assembly. The minority seat had fallen vacant after the assassination of Handry Massieh earlier this month.



Speaking on the occasion, opposition member Engineer Zamrak Khan Achakzai said that in the last year’s budget, the opposition was ignored and no development works had been carried out in the opposition members’ constituencies. He said the opposition intended to present its reservations to the government in a civilised way and therefore, it is incumbent upon the government to heed these reservations.

He said that 47 per cent of the allocated funds were not utilised in the previous budget, adding that the opposition engaged in constructive criticism and approached the courts regarding the issue. The government should make it clear as to how a deficit of Rs15 billion would be fulfilled, he said. He added that the opposition has evidence against the government and would present this before the House.

Speaking on the occasion, Haji Mir Ghulam Dastagir Badini said the budget is ‘friendly to the masses’ and added that the development process should be initialised sooner than later so that the funds do not lapse.

He said that Rs4 billion each had been allocated for cadet colleges in Kohlu and Pishin while Cadet College Nushki, which is under construction, was ignored. He added that the District Health Officer and Medical Officer Nushki Hospital had been suspended. “The reason given was that they were not present at their station, but they had travelled to Quetta on necessary official business,” he said and added that junior doctors had been appointed in their place. He staged a walkout in protest on these issues and was later brought back into the Assembly after the chief minister promised to address those problems.

Speaking on the occasion, PML-N member Samina Khan congratulated the CM for presenting a balanced budget and said that it focuses on health, education, law and order and other public issues. She said that 5,000 students will be given scholarships through the Balochistan Endowment Fund as well. The session was adjourned until 11:00 pm today (Monday).

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2014.