QUETTA: The Balochistan cabinet on Wednesday approved a plan to establish new metropolitan corporations, municipal corporations and municipal committees in the province.

A meeting of the cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, took this decision to make the local bodies more empowered for resolving problems at people’s doorstep.

Quetta will have four metropolitan corporations out of five to be established in Balochistan, while 39 municipal corporations and 90 municipal committees will be set up across the province.

The meeting approved in principle a plan for establishing new sub-divisions in the province.

Approves establishment of new sub-divisions in the province

The revenue department briefed the cabinet about the new sub-divisions and officials of the local government department presented the plan for establishing new local bodies in the province.

The cabinet approved a new sessions division in Kachhi district and the formation of a scrutiny committee for the tenure of contract employees of the Balochistan Development Authority.

It approved amendments to the Consumer Protection Act, 2003, and the proposed Coastal Highway Police plan in Balochistan.

The cabinet revised the newly approved grant-in-aid policy for the Department of Minority Affairs.

It directed to re-enact the agenda items related to the implementation of the proposed minimum premium of 77 per cent on steel items for members of the cabinet.

A cabinet sub-committee will be formed to consider the Balochistan Commission for Regulation of Regulated Housing Schemes Bill and a sub-committee to review the Balochistan Water Tax Act, 2021. The sub-committee will formulate a comprehensive water act and present it at the next cabinet meeting.

The cabinet approved the minutes of two meetings of the Pension Cases Disposal Committee, held on January 19 and February 22 this year.

It approved the assignment of special court powers to the additional sessions and district judge Muslim Bagh under the Hazara Community Security and Control of Narcotics Act, 1997.

The cabinet okayed the sub-schemes of the PHE department which did not reflect the nomenclature of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2021-22.

It approved the DDWP of the Planning and Development Department and the projects of the District Development Working Party.

The cabinet approved an increase in contracts and an estimated cost of the PSDP schemes due to discrepancies between various calculations.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said the cabinet had taken important decisions and approved various agenda items. He said the decision regarding local bodies was a historic step by the present government. “An effective and functional local government system is a guarantee of development. We have fulfilled another promise,” he said.

Mr Alyani said the establishment of new metropolitan corporations, municipal corporations and municipal committees would address grievances of the populace.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2021