QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has said that Sui town has played a very important role in the development of the country as it has been providing gas to different parts of the country since 1954, fulfilling energy requirements of the country to a large extent, but it is a pity that even in 2020 the area is still deprived of gas, water and other such basic facilities because of wrong policies of all previous governments.

He was speaking at a ceremony held to lay foundation-stone of a water supply scheme in the area.

He said that Sui area had remained deprived of these basic facilities because of disparity in distribution of funds among different districts and areas of Balochistan.

The chief minister said that present government had adopted a new strategy to develop all areas of the province under the available resources and resolve people’s problems wherever and in whatever way possible. Because of following this strategy, he said, development work had been started in every district and tehsil of the province.

“The coalition government wants to see all areas of Balochistan being developed at the same time with no district, tehsil or any area being ignored in this respect,” Mr Alyani said.

Development of all areas of Balochistan is govt’s goal, says chief minister

He said that this was the vision of the provincial government and that was the reason why, despite limited resources and funds, work on development schemes in all areas of the province was going on.

He said that in the past certain districts and areas of the province used to enjoy a privileged or special status and most of the funds of the province used to be spent there and that was the reason why other areas of the province remained so backward or extremely under-developed, but the present government had radically changed that policy and it was following an even-handed approach in the development of all areas of Balochistan and funds were being allocated on equal basis so that people of all areas of the province could enjoy benefits of development.

He said that every district had been provided Rs2.5 billion to Rs3billion for development schemes and far-flung areas of the province had been given top priority in the current budget.

He said that under the changed strategy and policy of the present provincial government, new roads were being built to link these areas with National Highways so that people got access to district headquarters and main markets of the area.

The foundation-stone laying ceremony was also attended by Nawabzada Mir Gohram Bugti, MPA, from Dera Bugti, provincial ministers Omer Khan Jamali, Zamarak Khan Piralizai, Noor Mohammad Dummar, MPA, Abdul Qadir Nayal and Mobeen Khilji.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2020