QUETTA: The Balochistan Finance Minister, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi has said that in the next financial year budget the coalition government has not ignored any area of the province in its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and huge funds have been allocated for the completion of various projects as the coalition government believes in equal development of entire province.

Concluding general debate on the annual budget 2019-20 here in the Balochistan Assembly, on Wednesday, he said that opposition members criticized the government for presenting Rs. 47 billion deficit budget despite knowing.

The coalition government has prepared budget with consulting and taking all stakeholders into confidence including opposition to resolve the issues facing the province. He said that former government presented 2018-19’s budget with showing a deficit of Rs. 62 billion and the Jam Kamal led coalition government through taking concrete steps reduced the deficit of current PSDP and provided maximum funds for the development projects.

Mr. Buledi said that present government will make all out efforts to reduce the deficit of next financial year’s through reducing non-development expenditures and enhancing provincial revenue. “Maximum funds would be arranged for development schemes,” he said, adding that in the PSDP funds have been allocated for the establishing command area of Kachhi canal.

He said that the government also allocates funds for the Mirani Dam command area that would benefit the people of the area. He said that the dam was constructed 2007 by Musharraf government but no government has given attention on developing command area of the dam.

Finance Minister said that with the implementation on the budget a positive change will be visible in next 6 months. “Though opposition criticized the budget but I’m sure opposition members are satisfied in the heart about the PSDP as government has not ignored them in the budget,” Zahoor Buledi said adding that government and its allies parties believes to take all possible steps to serve the people who had given mandate to them in the last election.

He termed the budget best and people friendly and informed the house that the government has allocated funds for those sectors which were not given attention in the past. Universities in the province would get more funds as government increase their funds from Rs. 500 million to Rs. 1.5 billion which would be distributed through a University Finance Commission with the aim to promote higher education in the province.

He said that funds were also allocated for establishing trauma centres and health facilities along with National Highway. He said that nursing school was up grated and given the status of college while three university campuses would be established in three districts. He said that health, education, communication, industry, local government, Public Health Engineering and many other sectors were included in the government top priority list.

He congratulated members of BNP-Mengal for supporting PTI government in budget approval and it will be succeeded in bring something benefits for Balochistan.

“I’m hoping the BNP-Mengal will also extend its support in the passage of Balochistan Budget as would vote for the approval of federal budget,” Zahoor Buledi remarked.

Earlier, debate continued on the annual budget of Balochistan for the yaer 2019-20 and members including provincial minister Sardar Abdul Reham Khetiran, Ms Zeenat Shahwani, Akhtar Hussain Langove, Malik Naeem Bazai, Provincial Minister PHE Mir Noor Muhammad Dummar, Advisor to the Chief Minister Danish Kumar, Fazal Agha, Asghar Tareen and Maulana Nawaz Kakar also spoke on the budget and suggested various suggestions for improving PSDP.

Akhtar Hussain Langove said that the government has ignored those sectors which directly affect the people. He said that government not focused those sectors which could improve provincial economy. He said that instead of inducting people of Dera Bugti in levies force, the government should provide jobs in agriculture, health, education, livestock and Irrigation.

He said that government should provide more funds for street lights and tough-tailing of streets in satellite town and other areas.
Sardar Khetiran said that government will take back all those government lands back which were allotted on lease illegally. He asked the Minister Revenue Saleem Khosa to take steps in this regard.