QUETTA, Jul 22 (APP): Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Tuesday said that timely completion of development projects for provision of public welfare was the top priority of incumbent provincial government.
He said this while presiding over a high-level meeting held in Quetta regarding the performance of provincial departments and the progress of development projects.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan, administrative secretaries of all provincial departments and relevant authorities.
The chief minister said that it was need of the hour to bring the government machinery out of its sluggishness, traditional style and irresponsible behavior and align it with modern requirements.
He clearly said that negligence, corruption and poor performance would not be tolerated under any circumstances and all institutions would have to strictly adhere to the principles of merit and accountability.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary gave a detailed briefing on the ongoing development process in the province, the performance of various departments and the future strategy.
The meeting was informed that a major plan has been prepared to convert Balochistan’s industrial estates to solar energy, through which five billion units of electricity are expected to be generated annually.
So far, 27,437 agricultural tube wells have been converted to solar systems in the province while 15,000 households have been provided with home solar systems, during the same period, 15 new industrial units have been established in Balochistan,which is a positive development in terms of industrial revival and employment opportunities, significant achievements have also been made in the education sector, he said in the briefing to the meeting.
He added that in the past one year, 3049 schools were activated, in which 234,779 children were enrolled, ten thousand five hundred and thirteen teachers were recruited and the training of seventeen thousand nine hundred and seven teachers was completed, while significant reduction in expenses was brought about by eliminating five thousand unnecessary posts.
The Chief Secretary said that 14,131 out-of-school children were brought back into the educational stream through the efforts of the Social Welfare Department.
The chief minister was informed that for the first time in Balochistan, a social media policy has been formulated, while a Journalist Endowment Fund has also been established for the welfare of journalists.
A comprehensive plan is being implemented to make the ancient and important religious site of the province, Hinglaj Mata Temple, a world-class tourist center, the Chief Secretary told.
He said during the briefing that similarly, an Environment Endowment Fund has been established at a cost of Rs 500 million for environmental improvement and a Wildlife Endowment Fund for wildlife conservation. A significant increase has also been recorded in the income generated from mineral resources, he said and added, the royalty revenue of the Mines and Minerals Department increased by 80 percent, while the activities of the Gwadar Industrial Estate have started regularly.
He said that 1328 kilometers of roads were constructed and 927 development schemes were completed at a cost of Rs 40 billion.
Last year, 653,000 births were registered, which is a record in the history of the province. The finance department was modernized and 125 unnecessary posts were eliminated and the services of financial experts were obtained from the private sector.
During the last financial year, it was possible to save Rs 12 billion in non-development expenses. The annual revenue target of the Board of Revenue was set at Rs 350 billion which has increased to Rs 500 billion, which reflects the improvement in financial management, he noted.
The Chief Secretary said that the first ever Women’s Endowment Fund has been established to empower the women of Balochistan while smart boards have been installed in 380 schools to promote modern technology in educational institutions and a nutrition program has been introduced for students.
Revolutionary measures have also been taken in the agriculture sector, with the introduction of the “Kisan Card”, which will enable farmers to directly benefit from government facilities, 362 flood protection dams have been completed for flood protection.
While giving clear instructions in the meeting, the Chief Minister of Balochistan said that all secretaries should visit the interior of the province to monitor their departments and the process of departmental approval of small schemes should be completed by August 15.
He said that the pace of development projects should be accelerated so that the people could get their fruits as soon as possible.
Taking notice of the complaints of children studying under the auspices of the Labor and Manpower Department in Islamabad, he sought an immediate report and directed the Labor Department to submit complete details of the Youth Skills Development Program next week.
Describing this project as the foundation of Balochistan’s bright future, the Chief Minister said that no negligence or delay would be tolerated in it.
The Chief Minister directed all autonomous institutions including WASA to develop the capacity to generate revenue, and said that serious and sustainable measures are necessary for a lasting solution to Quetta’s water problems.
Reiterating the government’s zero tolerance policy against drugs, the Chief Minister ordered a full-scale crackdown on the drug mafia across the province.
He said that more institutions should be established for the rehabilitation of drug addicts saying that the Social Welfare Department was strictly instructed that no drug addict should be seen on the streets in the next three months.
Expressing strong anger over the slowness, traditional approach and lack of seriousness in government offices, the Chief Minister made it clear that now only efficiency would be the criterion for survival. Transparent, quality and timely completion of all projects would be the source of the government’s collective success.
The Chief Minister stressed that all departments should promote mutual coordination and remove obstacles in the way of development projects and ensure their timely completion.