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| July 16, 2006 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 19, 1427 |
Balochistan devises plan to tackle poverty
ISLAMABAD, July 15: Balochistan government has formulated a “medium-term development strategy” aimed at tackling the widespread poverty and accelerating efforts for human resource development in the province.
Sources told Dawn on Saturday that a sense of deprivation was causing growing unrest in Balochistan, forcing the provincial authorities to take steps to meet the situation by resolving basic issues such as poverty, unemployment and lack of basic amenities through its new development strategy.
According to the sources, the primary objectives of the strategy – which has been submitted to the federal government for approval - are also to strengthen the enabling environment for the private sector and improving the management of natural resources.
One the agriculture side, the objectives are to increase output and raise per capita income in an efficient and sustainable manner with particular emphasis on enhancing productivity and improving natural resources management which are “critical” for redefining the future of water in the province.
The provincial government has initially sought Rs1.5 billion from the Centre to start implementing its medium-term development strategy, they said, adding that the provincial authorities maintained that the Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) recognised water as threatened resource in the province.
The sources said the federal government was expected to seek additional financial assistance from the World Bank to extensively meet the development needs of Balochistan.
The Balochistan government has identified engendering growth, managing scarce water resources, focusing on governance reforms, improving human development and addressing vulnerability to shocks as key areas needed to be addressed seriously in order to tackle various issues including poverty.
According to the sources, the strategy calls for managing groundwater on a sustainable-use basis, recognising the need for a great deal of planning, besides evaluating current practices such as the use of delay action dams.
It is also aimed at improving the management of deficient water resources by reducing the overall impact of the present water crisis.
The provincial government has expressed its resolve to undertake a number of new development projects. But in the beginning it has firmed up Balochistan Small Scale Irrigation Project which covers the Pishin Lora Basin (PLB), and includes entire districts of Pishin, Quetta, Mastung and partial coverage of districts of Killa Abdullah and Kalat.
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