QUETTA, June 20 Balochistan will spend Rs 18.53 billion on its Public Sector Development Programme in 2009-10. Presenting the province's budget, Finance Minister Mir Mohammad Asim Kurd Gailu said Rs 6,942.18 million — or 37 per cent of the development budget — had been allocated for construction of 231 roads.

An amount of Rs 2,357.5 million was allocated for the education sector.

Water sector projects would consume Rs 1,020.66 million and Rs 198.461 million would go to agriculture, Rs 411.1 million to power, Rs 300 million for special development programme and Rs 889.205 million would be spent on Public Health Engineering projects. In addition to the PSDP allocation for roads, the provincial government has also set aside Rs 697.83 million for 78 road projects of the Balochistan Development Authority.

Eighteen new schemes in power sector would be implemented in the next financial year.

The health sector would get Rs 540.761 million for 39 schemes. Rs 111.168 million would be spent on mineral sector projects during the next fiscal year.

The provincial government has allocated Rs 850.098 million for seven unspecified schemes in the PSDP.