Uplift of people of Balochistan is among the top priorities of his govt: PM Imran Khan
ISLAMABAD, Jan 05 (SABAH): Prime Minister Imran Khan has said uplift of the people of Balochistan is among the top priorities of his government.
Chairing a meeting to review the progress on Balochistan’s development projects in Islamabad on Wednesday, PM Imran Khan said the government has prioritized projects according to their impact on livelihood of the people of Balochistan.
Imran Khan said infrastructural development, development in agriculture, fisheries and power sectors as well as subsidy on basic amenities including Ehsaas programs are gradually gaining pace. He said industrialization and establishment of processing plants is being expedited for economic uplift of the locals. He said protection of local fishermen by curbing illegal trawling activities is being ensured.
The meeting was given a comprehensive overview regarding improvement in governance structure, execution of government to government projects, fisheries sector, Command Area Development, Agriculture Sector and establishment of Nursing Colleges.
A detailed briefing was also given on Road Networks, Power Sector Projects, Projects by Maritime Affairs IT and Telecom Sector, Industries and Production and Development projects in Gwadar.
Regarding the governance, it was told that 59 out of the total 161 projects would be completed in the current fiscal year.
The Prime Minister said expeditious execution of the projects should be ensured along with the establishment of a robust permanent structure that will ensure the development of deprived areas of Balochsitan in the long run.
About road infrastructure, it was told that a total of 3788 kilometres of roads are being developed in Balochistan to improve connectivity. The said projects are already ahead of the timelines ascertained for these projects. Moreover, 796 kilometres Karachi-Quetta-Chaman road project is also underway and the on ground work will commence very soon.
On the fisheries sector, it was said that one of the major concerns of the local fishermen was of the illegal fishing trawlers that has been addressed on a priority basis by improved patrolling by the agencies concerned. This has also resulted in the conservation of the fishing stock. In addition to that, Ministry of Maritime Affairs in collaboration with Kamyab Jawan Program is providing loans to local fishermen for improvement of techniques and their boats which include installation of Vehicle Monitoring system.
Discussing the Command Area Development, the meeting was told that the Katchi canal project was near completion. In addition to the above, a Foot and Mouth Disease Free area is being established whereby not only the cattle will be vaccinated, but also proper facilities will be established to meet the international standards for export of processed meat. This will not only generate foreign exchange by increasing exports but also generates jobs.
Talking about the Power and Petroleum sector, it was told that distribution of 3,000 solar panels will commence soon. Along with that a subsidy on Liquefied Petroleum Gas is proposed that will help locals and resolve issues pertaining to energy demands. Ministry of Maritime Affairs informed the meeting about progress on import of Virtual Pipeline Liquefied Natural Gas whereby licenses are being granted that will further improve the gas situation in the province, especially in Gawadar.
Regarding the IT Sector and Distance Learning, it was said that till now, 6,372 trainings have been given to the local youth that has empowered them regarding tech related jobs. Moreover, a program including 35,000 trainings is being launched to train the youth about free-lancing and other market competitive tech courses.
The meeting was also briefed about the air-connectivity under which development of Turbat Airport is on bidding stage and steps are being taken to increase flight operations between Turbat, Gawadar and Quetta.
Reviewing the industrial development in Balochistan, the meeting was briefed about the progress on dates processing plants in Turbat, meat processing plants, Metal Park, including the areas of Chaghi, Khuzdar, Lasbeela and Gawadar. In addition, the government is engaging the private sector for a cost sharing model of Olive oil extraction plants in Khuzdar and other areas of the province. Moreover, the project of establishment of boat industry in Gwadar is underway with all stakeholders on board. The purpose of the project is to modernize the existing fleet of boat belonging to local fishermen.
The meeting was also informed about the establishment of 1.2 million gallon water plant in Gwadar which is expected to be completed before summer this year.
The Prime Minister directed the stakeholders concerned to speed up the projects, especially those that have high impact on the livelihoods of the locals.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin, Fawad Chaudhary, Murad Saeed, Asad Umar, Hammad Azhar, Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Abdul Quddus Bazenjo, SAPM on CPEC Khalid Mansoor and senior Civil and Military officers concerned.