Balochistan wants centre to pay gas royalty: Team to meet president, PM
By Our Staff Correspondent
QUETTA, July 18: A delegation of the Balochistan government is scheduled to meet the president, prime minister and finance minister for the payment of Rs4 billion the centre owes to the province on account of gas development surcharge (GDS) and re-scheduling of Rs3 billion State Bank loan.
The decision was taken by the provincial cabinet on Sunday at a meeting presided over by the Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf in Ziarat.
The meeting discussed the financial position and law and order situation in the province and decided to send a delegation headed by the chief minister to Islamabad and discuss financial and other provincial problems with President Musharraf, Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat and Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz.
The cabinet was informed that Islamabad had not so far provided Rs four billion to the province on GDS account outstanding against federal government. The cabinet was further informed that Balochistan had obtained an overdraft of Rs three billion from the State Bank for running its day-to-day expenditure during the financial year 2003-04.
The cabinet decided that the federal government would be asked to re-schedule the State Bank loan, as Balochistan was not in a position to repay the same on time.
Discussing the law and order situation in the province, the cabinet decided to implement the recommendations of the tribunal for maintaining peace and order in Quetta and other parts of the province.
It was decided that in future action would be taken against district nazim and district police officer if they failed to maintain peace in their area. The meeting was informed that the compensation of Rs 50 million had been distributed among the heirs of Quetta carnage victims.
The meeting approved the proposal to change the name of Balochistan-Wasa (Water and Sewerage Authority) to Quetta-Wasa and decided to table a draft bill in the provincial assembly for approval.
The proposal of establishing a Centre for Excellence of Vaccination and Biotechnology was also approved by the cabinet for which the federal government would provide financial assistance.
