QUETTA, May 27: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf on Thursday said that the province was facing difficulties in preparing the next fiscal year's development programme because of financial crisis.

"The Balochistan government is facing serious financial problems and has already obtained an overdraft of around Rs4 billion, crossing its borrowing limit during the current financial year."

The chief minister presided over a high-level meeting here to review the progress of ongoing development projects under the Annual Development Programme and discussed the preparation for next year's projects.

Financial mangers presented the report on overall financial position of the province and informed the meeting that preparation for next year's development programme would be difficult if Islamabad did not come for rescue and provide extra financial resources.

The chief minister took the notice of this situation and directed the financial mangers to droop all those non-productive and non-beneficial projects which could not be launched for any reason. "These projects should be replaced with such development programmes which provide maximum benefit to the common man."

Mir Mohammad Yousuf also directed that development projects proposed by the opposition members should also be included and backward districts of the province be given priority in next year's development programme.

He asked all the departments/ authorities concerned to submit their development projects to the planning and development department for including in the next budget.

"Development projects should be prepared according to the needs of the districts," the chief minister said. Jam Yousuf said that despite President Pervez Musharraf's assurance that Balochistan would get funds according to its requirements, the province was yet to receive the required funds for its annual development programme. "

Balochistan is getting less than the required funds," the chief minister added. Jam Yousuf agreed with the suggestion of the provincial finance minister that in the next development programme, construction and repair of existing schools, health centres, drinking water supply projects and roads should be priority areas.

"All vacant posts in various districts should be filled up with the people of the same districts," He said. Additional chief secretary, planning and development, Major (retd) Nadir Ali, informed that meeting that out of 828 development schemes, 344 had been completed, while work was in progress on the remaining projects.

He said that 456 new development schemes would be included in the next year's development budget. He said that work was in progress on various development projects of health, forest, wildlife and agriculture sector with the financial assistance of international donor agencies and countries

Major Nadir said that a comprehensive development package was being prepared for the development of Quetta for which the funds would be sought from the federal government.