QUETTA, Dec 4: Balochistan Communications Minister Prince Faisal Dawood has demanded that the National Highway Authority should sign an agreement with the provincial government about its share in toll tax.

The minister said at a press conference on Sunday that the provincial government had handed over some highways to the NHA without consulting his department.

He said the Punjab government was earning over Rs4 billion toll tax from its provincial highways while Balochistan was not getting any thing.

He said that after the opening of Gwadar port there would be heavy traffic for Central Asian states and the toll tax would be in billions.

“If the NHA does not sign an agreement with the provincial government, Balochistan will be deprived of Rs20 to Rs30 billion annually,” Prince Dawood said.

He said the provincial government had also handed over to the NHA billions of rupees arranged from the Asian Development Bank for construction of roads in the province.

He said his department should have been consulted before the handing over of the highways.

He said he had discussed the issues with the federal communications minister.

Replying to a question, he said the NHA had taken charge of provincial roads but the 7,949 labourers working there had not been inducted into the authority. “The provincial communications and works department is paying their salary, which is a big burden,” he said.

He demanded that the employees should be paid by the NHA.

The minister said his department was constructing roads at a cost of Rs3 million to Rs4 million per kilometre while the NHA charged Rs15 million to Rs19 million per kilometre. Despite the difference in cost, the provincial department was doing a better job while the government was receiving complaints about roads built by the NHA, he said.

He asked people to protest if they found construction of any road in the province substandard.

He demanded that the contractors involved in building substandard highways should be blacklisted in the province.

He said his department was not receiving maintenance funds and the condition of roads built earlier was worsening. He said his department was constructing 1,300 to 1,500km of roads.

He said the NHA had made changes in the alignment of roads handed over to it without informing the provincial government.

He asked the authorities concerned to ensure that the roads were constructed according to the design approved by the provincial government.

Responding to a question, the minister said he had protested over assignment of road projects to the Balochistan Development Authority in the presence of the department concerned and taken up the issue in the provincial cabinet and assembly.