CM irked over federal PSDP projects slow pace

QUETTA (6 AM Report): Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo on Tuesday has said that the government of Balochistan has decided to strongly protest against the inattention of the federal government and will adopt all constitutional and legal procedures to protect the constitutional rights of the province.
“If the federal projects continue at the same pace, they will not be completed even in the next 20 years,” he expressed these views while addressing the progress review meeting of PSDP 2022-23 chaired by him through video link.
During the meeting, the preparation of the development program of the next financial year was also reviewed. In the meeting, serious concern was expressed over the slowness of the ongoing federal projects in the province and the non-disbursement of funds.
A briefing was given on the progress of the projects and it was informed that according to the budget calendar, the preparations for the development program of the next financial year have been started, while the Finance Secretary briefed on the financial situation and the release of development funds. It was told that the estimated cost of federal projects in the province this fiscal year is 103 billion rupees, 26 billion should have been released for these projects in every quarter, 76 billion should have been released for these projects. The chief minister of Balochistan Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo said that the schemes of Balochistan are included in the federal PSDP but the funds are not released and the masses think that these funds were embezzled, adding that the Finance Ministers met with the Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Ishaq Dar in Islamabad but the repeated assurances of the federal government have not been implemented so far.
“Nothing will be gained from the federation if the federal projects continue at the same pace, they will not be completed even in the next 20 years,” Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo said that the federation should re-evaluate its attitude and policies regarding the development of Balochistan.
“Balochistan is the future of this country,” the Chief Minister of Balochistan asked to speed up the release of development funds and the timely completion of projects.