QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo has said the provincial government has not been provided even its 10 per cent share from the National Finance Commission Award by the federal government so far and it has worsened the financial crisis of his government.

“If this three-month share of the NFC is not provided by the federal government, the Balochistan government will not be able to pay salaries of its employees in the coming month,” the chief minister said while talking to media persons on Wednesday.

He said that Rs40 billion was outstanding against the federal government on account of gas royalty which had not been paid to the provincial government so far.

CM Bizenjo said the financial crisis of Balochistan was worsening with the passage of time due to non-provision of the provincial government’s share of its the National Finance Commission Award, which had affected the implementation of the current Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

CM says Balochistan govt won’t be able to pay salaries of its employees in coming month

“We prepared our PSDP expecting to receive Rs45 billion from the federal government, but we were not given even 10 per cent of our share in the NFC Award,” the chief minister said.

He said that completion of development projects in time was the priority of the provincial government and for this purpose Rs70 billion had already been released.

Talking about massive destruction caused by rains and floods in the province, he said that the provincial government had provided Rs8 billion for relief and rehabilitation of affected people from its own resources while it had received no assistance from the federal government under this head so far.

“We are not demanding extra funds, but just asking the federal government to release Rs40 billion outstanding dues of gas royalty to the provincial government,” Mr Bizenjo said.

“If the provincial government gets its dues from the federal government, it will rehabilitate flood-affected people on its own,” the chief minister said.

“We have not begged and will not beg from anybody to help the flood victims of Balochistan and help our people from our own resources,” he said.

Chief Minister Bizenjo said he would soon hold a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with a parliamentary delegation of Balochistan to inform him of the financial crunch the province was facing.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2022