ISLAMABAD, Jan 5 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that uplift of the people of Balochistan was among top priorities of the government.
The government has prioritized the development projects according to their impact on the livelihood of the people of Balochistan, he added.
The Prime Minister was chairing a meeting to review the progress of development projects in Balochistan.
He said that infrastructural development, development in agriculture, fisheries, power sector and subsidy on basic amenities including Ehsaas programs were gradually gaining pace.
The Prime Minister further said that industrialization and establishment of processing plants was being expedited for the economic uplift of locals.
Protection of local fishermen by curbing illegal trawling activities was being ensured, he added.
Federal Ministers Shaukat Tarin, Ch. Fawad Hussain, Murad Saeed, Asad Umar, Hammad Azhar, Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bazenjo, Special Assistant to PM on CPEC Khalid Mansoor and senior civil and military officers concerned attended the meeting.
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 the establishment of nursing colleges.
The meeting was also given a detailed briefing on road networks, power sector projects, projects by Maritime Affairs, IT and Telecom Sector, Industries and Production and development projects in Gwadar.
About Governance, the meeting was told that out of the total 161 projects, a total of 59 projects will be completed in the current fiscal year.
The goal was being achieved by improved monitoring and governance both at the provincial and federal levels.
The Prime Minister said that 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.
In a briefing about road structure, the meeting was told that a total of 3,788 KMs of road infrastructure was being developed in Balochistan to improve connectivity. The said projects were already ahead of the timelines ascertained for these projects.
Moreover, 796 km Karachi- Quetta-Chaman road project was also underway and the on-ground work will commence very soon.
About Fisheries Sector, the meeting was told that one of the major concerns of the local fishermen was of the illegal fishing trawlers that had been addressed on a priority basis by improved patrolling by the concerned agencies. This has also resulted in the conservation of the fishing stock.
In addition to that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs in collaboration with Kamyab Jawan Program was providing loans to local fishermen for improvement of techniques and their boats, which included the installation of vehicle monitoring system.
About Command Area Development, the meeting was told that in order to efficiently manage the water resources and development of agriculture sector in the province, Command Area Development projects were being expedited. It was further told that the Katchi canal project was near to completion.
In addition to the above, a foot-and-mouth disease free area was being established, where besides the vaccination of cattle, proper facilities will be provided to meet international standards for the export of processed meat.
This will not only generate foreign exchange by increasing exports, but will also create jobs.
In the briefing on power and petroleum sector, the meeting was briefed on progress regarding ongoing power projects, including both mega projects and off-grid projects. Distribution of 3000 solar panels will commence soon.
Along with that a subsidy on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was proposed which will help the locals and resolve the issues pertaining to energy demands.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs informed the meeting about progress on import of Virtual Pipeline LNG whereby licenses were being granted that will further improve the gas situation in the province, especially in Gwadar.
About IT Sector and Distance Learning, the meeting was updated that till now, 6,372 trainings have been given to the local youth which had empowered them regarding the tech-related jobs.
Moreover, a program including 35,000 trainings was being launched that will train the youth regarding free-lancing and other market competitive tech courses.
About Air-Connectivity, the meeting was briefed that the project of development of Turbat Airport was in the bidding stage and steps were being taken to increase flight operations between Turbat, Gawadar and Quetta.
On Industrial Development, the meeting was briefed about the progress on dates’ processing plants in Turbat, meat processing plants, metal parks including in the areas of Chaghi, Khuzdar, Lasbeela and Gwadar.
In addition, the government was 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 was underway with all stakeholders on board. The purpose of the project was to modernize the existing fleet of boats belonging to local fishermen.
The meeting was also informed about the establishment of 1.2 million gallon water plant in Gwadar which was expected to be completed before summer this year.
The Prime Minister directed the concerned stakeholders to speed up the projects, especially those that have high impact on the livelihoods of the locals.
