QUETTA: Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani on Tuesday said the development of Balochistan would lead to the progress of the country.

Presiding over the first meeting of the Apex Committee on Progress on South Balochistan Development Prog­ra­mme, he directed that a core committee be constituted to ensure implementation of the South Balochistan package.

The chief minister said that a timeline should be fixed for the completion of projects. He stressed the need to provide solar-powered tube wells for the promotion of agriculture in the border areas.

“The package includes plans to connect the livestock markets of the province with major markets of the country through tele-education programme, development of agro-markets, water, electricity, e-commerce and provision of health facility justice card under the PM Health Facility Programme,” he said.

Mr Alyani said that these projects were of utmost importance for the dev­e­lopment and prosperity of Balochistan.

“Considering the development needs of the province, an integrated development programme has been formulated. This package will not only lead to the development of Balochistan but also to the development of the country. The present government is taking steps to develop all areas on priority,” he said.

Deputy Speaker of the National Ass­embly Qasim Khan Suri, Balochistan Chief Secretary retired Capt Fazeel Asghar, Additional Secretary Planning and Development Abdul Sabur Kakar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Min­ister Zahid Saleem and Federal Secre­tary Planning Development Mathur Niaz Rana and a representative of the Southern Command attended the meeting. Other officials participated in the meeting via video link.

Giving a briefing to the meeting on the proposed projects and financing plan under the South Balochistan Development Programme, the chief secretary said that 119 projects had been prepared under the package.

He said out of 53 priority projects under the Federal Annual Development Programme the provincial government had prepared 26 out of 28 projects for PC-1 and 2.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2021