SIBI, Feb 18: Balochistan Governor Amirul Mulk Mengal announced on Monday a special Rs10 million uplift package for Sibi, and vowed to make this historic city a model district.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the five-day Sibi Mela, he said the provincial government had okayed the development plan with the cooperation of the federal government.

He said Sibi would be the second city of Balochistan after Quetta, whose entire system would be computerized.

Referring the package for Sibi, he said Rs5 million would be spend on the uplift of the city while remaining amount would be provided for launching development schemes in the district.

The governor informed the growers and livestock holders that the provincial government had allocated Rs150 million for extending interest-free loans to the drought-affected livestock holders for their rehabilitation.

He said that 80 per cent population of the province depended on livestock breading which also played an important role in the economy of the province.

The governor said the government was a making all out efforts to minimize the difficulties and losses of the livestock holders, and in this connection many medium and long-term projects were under implementation in the province.

Mr Mengal said the government was also giving full attention to the development of other sectors including construction of roads, provision of drinking water, education, health and communication.

Earlier, speaking at the local bodies’ convention in Sibi, Balochistan governor said the new district government system would protect the interests and rights of the people.

He said the system was based on some basic points — de-centralization of powers, distribution of financial resources on district level and devolution of powers.

Mr Mengal said the federal government had provided Rs85 million for building and staff of the new governments, which had been distributed among all district Nazimeen keeping in view their requirements.

The provincial government had provided Rs1,027 million to the district government from its own resources, while another amount of Rs1,750 million was also distributed among the district governments under the Khushal Pakistan and SAP programmes.

Provincial Minister for Local Bodies and Rural Development Mir Hussian Bukhsh Bangulzai, Quetta City Government district Nazimeen Mohammad Rahim Kakar, Mir Hair Byiar Domki and others also spoke on the occasion.