QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Friday inaugurated three mega projects — Information Techn­ology Park and Circular Road Integrated Car Parking Plaza in Quetta and LPG Technical Laboratory in Taftan — built in partnership with the private sector to provide better facilities to the masses.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that a building constructed in Marriabad, Quetta, 15 years ago has been converted into the IT Park to utilise it for the welfare of the people as there are many unused buildings in the province.

He said that Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan had proposed the IT Park and the provincial government released funds for the project to equip the youth of the province with much-needed valuable skills that will enable them to get jobs and contribute to the economic development of the province.

Project is among three schemes initiated on public-private partnership basis

Under the programme, there will be 67 offices in the IT Park which would provide skills to the youth in various technological fields.

In the IT park, around 1,000 youth will be trained in the next six months to enable them to get jobs abroad.

He said that there are limited job opportunities in the government sector and not every youth of the province could be provided jobs by the government.

But the governmentwould guide the youth in a better direction and provide them with opportunities to get better jobs in the world market, he added.

The chief minister said that similar IT parks would be established in every divisional headquarter of the province.

Mr Bugti said the government has executed the plan to operate the Circular Road Parking Plaza on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis to utilise resources and generate more funds which would be spent on the development of the city.

He said the government is encouraging these PPPs in various sectors to ensure better service delivery to the masses.

The chief minister said the commitments made by the government with the public have been fulfilled, adding that in a short period of six months, four major projects have been launched.

He said the government would not allow anyone to sabotage the process of development and create hurdles in the provision of facilities to the masses in the province.

He vowed not to be blackmailed by strikes. The government is ready to talk to leaders of different unions to resolve their reservations, he assured.

Mr Bugti said that the beautification of area from Quetta Airport to Zarghun Road would be completed in six months and directed officials concerned that the roads of the city should be clean.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2024