Rs 176bn allocated for Balochistan under PSDP 2019-20: NA informed

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Khusro Bakhtiar Thursday informed the National Assembly that the government had allocated Rs 176 billion under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2019-20) to executive different projects in Balochistan.

Addressing concerns of Parliamentary leader of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Khalid Hussain Magsi during budget debate, he termed the allocations ‘largest’ as compared to other provinces.

The previous government, he said, had kept only Rs 7 billion for Balochistan projects.

He said constructing motorway from Islamabad to Quetta under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor was top priority of the government.

Khusro Bakhtiar said sufficient allocation had also been made for Naulong dam. Ground-breaking of Quetta-Zhob road had been performed recently, while Halka-D I Khan motorway construction was also in progress, he added.

He said Makran grid was being connected with national distribution system at a cost of Rs 17.5 billion, for which this year Rs 6 billion had been allocated.

The minister said sufficient amount had been allocated for Katchi canal project, which the previous governments had abandoned even after spending Rs 80 billion.

Under the project, he said, 700,000 acre land would be irrigated, expressing confidence that its first phase would be completed as per the revised schedule.

“Development of Balochistan was top priority of the government,” he said.

Khusro Bakhtiar said a number of schemes were in pipeline to provide clear drinking water facilities to people of Balochistan, adding the government had also mitigated suffering of fishermen in Gwadar.