June 22, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1428

QUETTA, June 21: For the third consecutive year the Balochistan development budget for 2007-08 does not carry any new scheme for want of funds.

The Rs13.35 billion development plan for 2007-08 unfolded by the provincial finance minister Syed Ehsan Shah on Thursday on the floor of Balochistan Assembly incorporates a foreign funding segment of Rs3.32 billion and an over RS10 billion local currency component.

The local currency component of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) represents the budget deficit and is unfunded. The finance minister announced in his budget speech on Thursday to meet this deficit by way of improving recovery of local taxes, cutting on expenditure and expecting grant from Islamabad.

The PSDP allocates the highest amount of Rs4.98 billion for roads development. It includes Rs3.47 billion funding from the provincial budget and Rs1.51 billion foreign assistance. There are 320 schemes of road development.

Balochistan is the biggest province of the country in size and needs much more funds to open up its various parts to each other and to the rest of the country.

Education claims the second highest allocation of Rs1.95 billion for 95 schemes. An overwhelming majority of the development schemes in the education sector are being taken up with foreign assistance. The education sector’s development involves foreign assistance of Rs1.25 billion and only a sum of Rs701 million is provided in the budget. The Balochistan Development Authority (BDA) intends to take 92 development schemes at a total cost Rs1.29 billion provided in the budget.

Opposition and many treasury members including Minister for Communication Prince Faisal Daud criticised the government for giving importance to the BDA and demanded that the road projects should be implemented through provincial communication department.

Two ongoing schemes of poverty alleviation will be implemented during next financial year for which the 2007-08 budget provides Rs1 billion.

Water sector would get Rs726 million in the next fiscal PSDP, which would be spent on 91 ongoing schemes. It would include Rs100 million foreign assistance.

In the PSDP for the year 2007-08 the provincial government has also given priority to the mineral sector with the aim to utilise maximum mineral resources for the speedy development of Balochistan and has allocated Rs419 million for the purpose.

Health is another important sector but despite lack of health facilities in large areas of Balochistan the provincial government has allocated Rs504 million in the next year's PSDP involving a foreign assistance of Rs202.4 million. This amount would be spent on the completion of 63 ongoing schemes, as no new development scheme was included in the PSDP for 2007-08.

The Balochistan government would provide Rs325 million in the next year's PSDP for implementing Public Representatives Programme.

Physical Panning and Housing is another important sector for which the government proposed an allocation of Rs.240.75 million that would be spent on 34 schemes pertaining to town and road planning a bid to develop infrastructure in the province.

The government has also given priority to the studies and research sector and would provide Rs175 million in the next year's PSDP.

The Public Health Engineering sector would get Rs207 million for its 42 ongoing development schemes. It indicates that Balochistan will have no new drinking water scheme in next fiscal.

Agriculture is considered as backbone of the provincial economy but the government has allocated Rs229 million that would be utilised for completion of 15 ongoing schemes.

Village electrification is another important programme of the provincial government for which Rs91 million were allocated in the next PSDP and that would be spent on 12 ongoing development schemes in the power sector.

The Balochistan Coastal Development Authority would get Rs55.27 million in the next year's budget, while Gwadar Development Authority would be provided Rs20 million in new budget for ongoing development schemes.

Over Rs86 million were allocated in the next PSDP for implementing 12 schemes of social welfare, while for eight schemes of information technology the government would provide Rs46.99 million.

Livestock sector also considered as an important component of the provincial economy as around 70 to 80 per cent people were involved in this business. This sector would have Rs63 million for its 13 ongoing schemes.

In the next financial year 6 ongoing development schemes of environment would also be completed for that the provincial government would provide Rs84 million involving a foreign assistance of Rs42.78 million.