QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has said that the government is enacting laws to take maximum benefit from constitutional powers the province has been given under the 18th Amendment.

Speaking to members of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum, led by its chairman Mohsin Aziz, on Friday CM Alyani said the Balochistan government was firm on its stance that rights of the province would be protected. He said the provincial government would cooperate in all development and exploration projects of natural resources.

The members of the Senate standing committee backed the stance of Mr Alyani over ownership of the province on its natural resources and rights under 18th Amendment.

Senators Taj Afridi, Shamim Afridi, Mir Kabir Mohammad Shahi were also present in the meeting.

The meeting discussed mineral resources, oil and gas projects in Balochistan.

Informing the committee about measures being taken by the provincial government for development of natural resources, CM Alyani said the provincial government had introduced a comprehensive mineral policy in which interests of miners had also been ensured.

The chief minister said that majority of districts in Balochistan were deprived of the facility of natural gas.

He said for the first time in Balochistan’s history issuance of tenders of development projects was carried out only after one month of the approval of the current Public Sector Development Programme. He claimed that 70 per cent tenders of development projects had been issued.

He said for promotion of education in the province, the provincial government would make changes in the higher education sector which had been approved by the provincial cabinet.

The committee members informed the chief minister that they had visited coalmines run by the private sector in different areas of the province and examined facilities being provided there. They said there was a lack of modern facilities at the coalmines in the province.

They said the regulatory medical body should be directed to provide basic medical facilities at coalmines and education and training to coal miners.

The chief minister assured the committee that owners of coalmines would be made bound to take steps for welfare of coalminers and that measures would be taken for improvement of basic infrastructure in mining areas.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2019