Opposition oppose Balochistan budget deficit
Opposition oppose Balochistan budget deficit
Our Reporter
BalochistanLatest

QUETTA: Opposition parties continued to oppose deficit budget of Balochistan for the year 2019-20 during general debate on the budget in the Balochistan and demanded revise of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) while treasury benches rejected the objections of the opposition and described the budget balance and people friendly, on Tuesday.

QUETTA: Opposition parties continued to oppose deficit budget of Balochistan for the year 2019-20 during general debate on the budget in the Balochistan and demanded revise of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) while treasury benches rejected the objections of the opposition and described the budget balance and people friendly, on Tuesday.

Sanaullah Baloch of BNP-Mengal while taking the floor in the session that presided over by deputy speaker, Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail, said that budget is not a 250 pages documents and it aimed to provide opportunities to make development in economic and social sector and it always prepare keeping in view creating jobs, increasing production, development in agriculture and industries but budget presented by the present government was not fulfilling the requirements of the province and entire PSDP belong to the government.

“Entire PSDP meant to benefit the ministers and members of the treasury benches and noting is left for opposition and the people of the province,” Sanaullah Baloch said, adding that all the other three provinces presented surplus budget and in Balochistan’s budget, the government is showing deficit of over Rs. 47 billion. He said that actually the budget deficit is Rs. 70 billion which the government wanted to hide from the people.

He said that it was wrong policies of the government that increased the budget deficit of the province from Rs. 8 billion to 70 billion. : Balochistan cannot be development through an old rejected approach of the federal and provincial government,” he said and added that Islamabad must the asked to change its 70 years old approach towards development of Balochistan. “Balochistan needs special attention and development oriented approach,” Sana Baloch said.

Mr. Baloch said that in 1970 the per-capote income of Balochistan was 2.2 which reduced 1.6 in 1990 and now the Balochistan GDP is zero. He said that the government has not maintained anything in the budget about the modern and technical education while Balochistan needs more attention in this sector for its development. He said that no industrial project was included in the budget. He demanded that a new budget should be prepared with the consultation of all political, religious, social activists, educationists and other experts.

Former Financed Minister, Syed Ehsan Shah of BNP-Awami while speaking in the assembly termed the budget balance and development oriented and with the up gradation and crating of new jobs around 25000 youths would get jobs. He said that with setting up requirement at district level the Sefarish culture was discouraged. However, he expressed his disappointment over appointments in Turbat University and said that joiner officers were appointed on senior posts and even they did not fulfill the educational requirement for the post.

He suggested construction of more dams for brining water level up which depleting with the passage of time.  He also demanded that probe should be conducted to ascertain spending of Rs.140 billion paid to Balochistan in account of outstanding dues. He said also expressed his dismay over the performance of the Balochistan Revenue Authority and demanded inquiry into the misdeeds committed in the authority.

Nasarullah Zerey of PkMAP strongly criticized the federal budget and said that with new taxes the people of the country would face sky-rocketing price-hike; He said that efforts were underway for controlled democracy which would badly affect Baloch, Pashtoons,

Sindhi and Saraikis. He said that Federal government has ignored Balochistan in federal PSDP and only 17 billion projects were including for Balochistan in the 710 billion rupees Federal PSDP. He termed Balochistan budget anti-people and said that the government has allocated Rs, 8 billion for 10 districts while Lasbela, Jaffarabad and Jhal Magsi will get RS. 12 billion in PSDP.

Provincial Minister for Revenue, Mir Saleem Ahmed Khosa rejected the claims of the opposition members about budget and said that with the implementation on the budget Balochistan will progress in all sector as government has allocated funds to all department. He said that on the development of Quetta Rs. 40 billion were being spending. Akbar Mengal of BNP-Mengal and Abdul Khaliq Hazara also spoke on the budget.