May 11, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 8, 1424

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QUETTA, May 10: There is a shortfall of Rs3 billion from the federal revenue receipts to the province during the current financial year.

Talking to reporters at the Chief Minister’s House in the provincial metropolis, Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousaf said on Saturday that Balochistan was scheduled to receive Rs8 billion but had received only Rs5 billion, which had badly affected the development activities in the province.

The chief minister had warned the centre that the province was facing serious hazards owing to the financial shortfall.

He said that in case Balochistan’s view point and demands were ignored in the next National Finance Commission award, the province would even not be able to pay the salaries of its employees.

“Our ongoing and new development schemes would be badly affect if Balochistan’s financial requirements were not fulfilled by Islamabad,” Mr Yousaf said, adding that Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had been apprised of the financial and economic situation of the province.

The prime minister had been requested to plead Balochistan’s point of view and get maximum share for the province, the chief minister said, adding that Mr Jamali’s response was encouraging.

He said that Balochistan had serious reservation about the NFC award, and if the demands were not fulfilled the provincial budget makers would be in deep waters and the annual development programme would receive a severe blow.

The provincial chief executive said that Balochistan should be provided extra resources on the basis of land.

He said that other provinces had adopted their own stands on the issue as NWFP was demanding share on the basis of electricity it was providing to the country while Sindh was asking extra share on the basis of the revenue it was contributing to the national economy.

“I am hope full the issue would be resolved on the basis of give and take,” Mr Yousaf said.

He said that Balochistan was hinted that it would get more share from the gas surcharge and royalty in the next NFC award but “now we have come to know that Balochistan’s share in this account would be less then the projected figure”.

He said that Balochistan was not provided funds according to its share determined in the current NFC award and an amount of Rs15 billion was outstanding against Islamabad.

“Balochistan was paid Rs15 billion less then its projected share in the federal resources during the last five years,” he remarked and added: “Rs3 billion were not so far paid to Balochistan promised in the current financial year.”

He said that provincial government was approaching centre for the payment of dues.

Replying to a question, he said that the military government provided funds to the province and many mega projects were launched during the last three years. No political government had provided development funds in such a quantity, he added.

Referring to the Gwadar deep-sea port project, the chief minister said that he had sent a team of experts including senior member of the Board of Revenue to conduct a survey to determine the government lands in the future port city.