QUETTA, Nov 5: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said efforts are under way to convene a meeting of the National Finance Commission (NFC) before Eidul Fitr to resolve the issue of the provinces shares.
Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday in his native town Rojhan Jamali, he said that in the absence of the National Finance Commission award, the provinces were facing serious financial problems. “The development progress is also adversely affected in the provinces due to this delay in the NFC award.”
In reply to a question, the prime minister said that all-out efforts would be made to develop a consensus among the four provinces on the new NFC award.
About the development of the province, he said that at present, various projects, including the prime minister’s Public Development Programme and Khushhal Pakistan Programme, were under implementation in Balochistan. But Mr Jamali expressed his satisfaction only on some of the uplift schemes.
However, he said: “I am satisfied with the pace of overall development in Balochistan.”
BRIEFINGS: Meanwhile, the prime minister directed all nation-building institutions to ensure early completion of various development projects in order to provide basic facilities to the people.
Speaking at briefings given to him on the development work under progress in Balochistan, he said construction of roads and irrigation facilities, and provision of gas and electricity were top priorities of his government as these schemes would directly benefit the masses.
Quetta Electricity Supply Company (Qesco) Chief Executive Officer Brig Tasadduq Hussain briefed the prime minister about the power supply schemes, including the village electrification plans, in Balochistan.
He informed that 30mw electricity had been obtained from Iran for various areas of Makran while its total present requirement was around 15-16mw.
Electrification of eight villages of Gwadar district would be carried out at a cost of Rs13 million, he said and added that 220kv Dadu-Khuzdar transmission lines would also be laid. Once begun, the project would take three years to complete, the Quesco official said.
The prime minister was also told that Qesco was carrying out electrification of 216 villages in Nasirabad and Jaffarabad districts while another 208 villages were being provided power by using the elected representatives’ funds.
The Quesco CEO expressed the hope that another 500 villages would be provided electricity after identified by the elected representatives during the current year.
Negotiations were also in progress with the Iranian government to provide electricity to Dalbandin, Chaghai and Nokundi of Chaghai district, he said and added that Makran, border town Taftan and Mashkehl were already getting power from Iran.
Communication and Works Secretary Ghulam Mohammad Gola told the prime minister said that some 1,100km of roads were being constructed in Balochistan at a total cost of around Rs8 billion. The Asian Development Bank has also committed a grant of $1 million for the province.
Irrigation and water supply schemes were also discussed on the occasion.
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