June 25, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 09, 1428

QUETTA, June 24: The Balochistan Assembly approved a supplementary budget of Rs18.72 billion for fiscal year 2006-07 with a majority vote, rejecting 39 cut motions tabled by opposition members on Sunday.

Deputy Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani chaired the proceedings.

Finance minister Syed Ehsan Shah presented 19 demands for grant of Rs2.11 billion for non-development expenditure and six demand for Rs16.6 billion for development expenditure.

Opposition members Kachkol Ali, Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal, Sardar Azam Musakhel and Jan Muhammad Buledi tabled 39 cut motions on all 25 supplementary demands.

During the debate, opposition members termed the provincial government corrupt and inefficient and said that it should not be granted the funds as it had totally failed to protect the province’s interests and resolve public problems.

They said that despite allocation of Rs3 billion, the police department had failed to adequately protect people’s life and property, adding that the incidence of crime, including robberies, snatching of vehicles and mobile phones and kidnapping for ransom, had increased alarmingly in Quetta and other areas of the province.

They claimed that the law and order situation was so bad that the government had failed to hold by-polls on vacant seats of the Balochistan Assembly in Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Chaman and Khuzdar, adding that people felt insecure travelling on highways to Karachi, Jacobabad, Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Ismail Khan.

Opposition members alleged that the provincial government was also involved in the killing of innocent people, including Nawab Akbar Bugti, in military operation, adding that political opponents of government were being arrested and victimised while raids were being conducted on houses of workers of nationalist parties.

The finance minister rejected the opposition charges and said that the coalition government had been making concerted efforts for the province’s just rights, adding that during the past seven years, President Gen Pervez Musharraf had provided huge funds for development projects in Balochistan.

When Jan Buledi contended that the provincial government had been unsuccessful in duly helping people affected by torrential rains and the floods in Turbat, Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf assured the house that the government had taken steps to provide them assistance.

Jam Yousuf said the matter had also been discussed with the prime minister who had agreed to provide funds to rehabilitate the affected people, adding that the problem of electricity in Turbat was being discussed with Wapda and Qesco, who had been directed to resolve the issue immediately.

The session was adjourned till Monday.