QUETTA: The Balochistan Planning and Development Department has approved around Rs40 billion for new and ongoing development projects for the second quarter of the current financial year.

Official sources said on Monday that a meeting presided by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani was briefed on the development projects by Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Abdul Rehman Buzdar.

The chief minister told the meeting that his government had started a new era in Balochistan by ensuring timely release of funds for development projects.

“Previously, funds generally lapsed because they were issued at the end of the fiscal year. No delay will be tolerated in completion of development projects and there will be no compromise on quality of work,” he added.

Mr Buzdar told the meeting that 344 development projects included in the current development programme would be completed by the end of the current financial year, while remaining 210 development schemes would also be completed within time.

The meeting discussed matters related to the departments of education, planning & development, sports, health, urban planning and development, fisheries and youth affairs and 77 projects of other departments.

The meeting was briefed on basic health units and rural health centres extension projects, construction of sports complexes and the Balochistan Youth Support Programme, the plan to establish new schools, Balochistan Green Boat Schemes, starting aqua tourism in the coastal areas and setting up of tourist sites, ‘Apna Ghar’ project and master plans of 30 districts in the province.

The meeting directed executive engineers and other officials concerned to complete development projects on time and utilise funds appropriately. It also decided to release work plan to the contractors before starting a project. The contractors must have to function according to the work plan.

The meeting discussed arrangements of 34th National Games in Quetta and directed the department concerned to complete ongoing projects at Ayub Stadium within time.

It ordered the teaching staff to remain present on places of their duty in rural areas.

Finance Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Communications Minister Mir Arif Jan Mohammad Hasni, Adviser to the CM on Education Mir Mohammad Khan Lehri, Parliamentary Secretary of the Balochistan Assembly Abdul Khaliq Hazara, Chairman of the Quetta Development Authority Bushra Rind and secretaries of the departments concerned also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2019