QUETTA, Jan 10: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousaf has demanded that Wapda and other federal institutions should defer recovery of their outstanding dues from the people of the province at least for six months in view of the drought and other circumstances.

He made this demand at a briefing given by Wapda Chairman Lt-Gen Zulfiqar Ali Khan here on Friday on water projects, including the proposed Kachhi Canal and Mirani dam.

He said that he had also requested the president and the prime minister to give more time to the people of Balochistan for repayment of agricultural loans extended to them by different financial institutions and banks.

“It is our desire and effort that Wapda and other federal government departments defer the collection of their dues for some more time, as the people of the province are faced with difficulties,” Jam Yousaf said.

Referring to the development projects being launched in the province, the CM called for timely completion of all the major development projects, so that an agricultural revolution is ushered in Balochistan.

“With the completion of development projects, a green revolution would change the fate of Balochistan’s poor,” he said.

He praised the role of Wapda and conceded that the performance and working of the organization had improved considerably over the years.

He said the people were faced with miseries following the drought, now into its seventh year. “There are no means of livelihood left for them. They deserve a better treatment, mainly generous relief supplies.”

The CM said that the people’s rule had been restored after a long time. Naturally, the people had great expectations from their elected representatives.

He said the people’s representatives and the officials were all duty-bound to serve the public.

Jam Yusuf said that all the institutions were meant for the people and the rules and laws of such institutions needed to be softened in their interest.

He stated that the conditions in Balochistan were totally different from those of the other provinces, so its problems needed to be resolved with a different approach.

He said Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had announced a relief package for Balochistan, keeping in view the prolonged drought and its deadly impact on the provincial economy.

At the same time, the president of Pakistan had already approved 3,000 tube-wells for the province to beat back the effects of drought. He said Wapda would have to take special measures to energize the tube-wells at the earliest.

He demanded that village electrification be intensified and Lasbela be provided power supply from the Wapda grid instead of from KESC’s faulty and inefficient system.

He was told that work on Kachhi Canal had already been started on which Rs32 billion would be incurred. It would complete by 2007.

The CM was informed that Rs5.8 billion would be spent on the construction of Mirani dam near Turbat.