Aziz unveils Rs19.5 billion ‘vision for Balochistan’ plan
By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Oct 13: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday announced a Rs19.5 billion provincial support programme for Balochistan for the current fiscal year and said the government was ready to hold negotiations with people who backed development of the country, particularly Balochistan.
Addressing a press conference at the Governor’s House at the start of his two-day visit to Quetta, he said a ‘Vision for Balochistan’ had been prepared by the federal and provincial governments.
Flanked by Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf, the prime minister said the support programme included a Rs2.2 billion Dera Bugti development package and added that the federal government would provide an additional Rs1 billion to the Gwadar Development Authority for building roads and other infrastructure projects in the new port city.
He said Rs1 billion would be provided for purchasing land in Gwadar where an international airport would be built. Each of Balochistan’s 29 districts will receive a grant of Rs100 million to start micro-level schemes aimed at providing relief to people.
Referring to the recent increase in Balochistan’s quota in federal jobs, he said the province would get a total of 33,357 jobs. These vacancies, he emphasised, should be filled as soon as possible.
He announced that 200 bulldozers would be provided to Balochistan at a cost of Rs2 billion, adding that tenders would soon be invited for the purpose.
He said the province would get Rs6.3 billion as its share in the NFC award, Rs2.5 billion as special package, Rs2.1 billion in debt relief, Rs2.9 billion from the Khushhal Pakistan Fund, Rs2 billion as gas development surcharge and Rs1.7 billion for establishing a housing colony for PPL workers at Tillimat.
Mr Aziz pointed out that 138 mega-projects, funded by the federal government, were already being executed in the province at a cost of Rs164 billion and said Rs31 billion had been allocated for the purpose in the current federal budget as against Rs25 billion earmarked last year. He said a development package involving Rs3.1 billion had been approved for the Kohlu district.
He said the government wanted to address the sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan by resolving their problems and improving their standard of life.
“We are making efforts to create a conducive atmosphere for local and foreign investment in Balochistan,” he said, adding that the agricultural potential of the province would be realised and its mineral wealth would be tapped.
The prime minister said that as a result of the quota increase, 6,000 additional jobs would be available to the province. People of Balochistan will be given 6,097 jobs in various federal departments and another 7,300 in the Pakistan Army.
Besides, he added, 70,000 jobs would be created by the mega-projects.
He said teams from Islamabad and other areas would visit Balochistan for interviews and selection of candidates and added that various departments would advertise vacancies in local newspapers soon.
The government has decided to relax selection criteria for candidates, he said, asking the youths to come forward and apply for jobs according to their qualification.
Mr Aziz announced that a scholarship scheme was being prepared for students of Balochistan and an ordinance for technical and vocational education had been passed. The federal government will help establish such institutes in the province. He said a stipend of Rs1,000 would be given to each student. A special quota will be allocated for students of Balochistan in the engineering and medical colleges of other provinces.
In reply to a question, the prime minister said the government believed in giving more powers to provinces and added that a Senate committee headed by Mr Wasim Sajjad, which was working on the matter, would soon submit its report.
APP adds: Mr Aziz said the government would also launch an internship scheme in government departments all over the country under which youths would be provided jobs at a monthly allowance of Rs10,000.
He said two big copper companies of the world — one from Canada and the other from Chile — were investing millions of dollar in the Recodik copper and gold project which would also generate employment.
QUETTA, Oct 13: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday announced a Rs19.5 billion provincial support programme for Balochistan for the current fiscal year and said the government was ready to hold negotiations with people who backed development of the country, particularly Balochistan.
