QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has assured the masses that the incumbent government will live up to their expectations and will prioritise development of the entire province.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Nawan Killi bypass project on Thursday, he said it was unfortunate that Balochistan had suffered due to poor governance and mismanagement of funds.

Opposition leader Advocate Malik Sikandar Khan, Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, provincial ministers, and other government officials were present on the occasion.

“Running governments is not an easy job, it needs proper planning and programme,” Mr Alyani said, adding that when a small business could not run without planning then how could the affairs of a province be managed without comprehensive planning.

He said that the province remained deprived of development due to allocation of funds to selected districts on the bases of favouritism. “Governance could not implanted by just cutting ribbons and putting name plates on incomplete development schemes,” he remarked.

The chief minister said that the door of CM House was now closed for the commission mafia and that is why some people were criticising the government policies as the existing ones had foiled their designed.

He said that he would not sit comfortably after inaugurating any development project. Monitoring and follow up of the development schemes would continue till its completion, he said.

“The people of Balochistan had high expectations from the government and they had been demanding infrastructure, hospitals, schools, conducive environment and access of clean-drinking water I want to assure them that they will get quick response from the provincial government,” said the chief minister.

He regretted that past governments tried to win votes from the masses by dividing them over sectarian and language hate.

“Being a chief minister, I am responsible for developing the entire province rather than allocating funds to my constituency Lasbela only. The government has commenced development schemes in constituencies of opposition members as well,” he said, adding that the provincial authorities had completed 600 pending development projects initiated by the former government.

Talking about the planning and development mechanism, the chief minister said funds were allocated for every single UC, tehsil and district after comprehensive homework to assess their needs.

Mr Alyani said he held 35 cabinet meetings to discuss important issues and approve projects. He said the face of Quetta was changing as construction of inter-link highways was under way.

The expansion of Joint Road, Sariab Road, Sabzal Road, Eastern and Western Bypass would facilitate the residents of Quetta, he said, while announcing to upgrade the Hanna Urak Highway as a two-way road soon.

Communication and Works Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal briefed the chief minister regarding the 6km Nawan Killi bypass. “The total cost of the project was estimated Rs346.704 million and it would be completed by June 2020,” Mr Mengal said.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2020