June 18, 2015
News
Balochistan unveils Rs 244bn budget for 2015-16
QUETTA: Advisor to Chief Minister Balochistan on Finance Mir Khalid Langov on Wednesday unveiled Rs 243.528 billion budget for the fiscal year 2015-16 with an estimated budget deficit of Rs 26.1million.
As expected merely Rs 54.505 billion were allocated for development while total development expenditure is estimated at Rs 189.023 billion.
The power load shedding interrupted the budget speech, which people viewed a clear reflection of the serious issue of power outages in the province.
The total volume of the PSDP is estimated Rs 54.505 billion in which education, health, law and order, irrigation, communication, water supply and energy sectors were given priorities, stated in the budget documents.
According to documents available with media, Revenue expenditure was estimated Rs 168.549 billion, capital expenditure estimated Rs 20.47 billion.
The documents stated for general public services Rs 28.751 billion, for Public Order Safety Affairs Rs 26.958 billion, education affairs and services Rs 38.369 billion, health and services Rs 15.482 billion, economic affairs Rs 39.044 billion and housing and community amenities Rs 11.682 billion have been allocated.
Balochistan followed in the footprints of the federal government by increasing salary and pension of state-employees by 7.5 percent. The government put a complete ban on buying luxurious vehicles in Balochistan.
“To control the unnecessary expenditures, government has interdicted a computerized system,” he said. For investigating the unnecessary expenditures, Public Procurement Regulatory Authority has been established.
Langov said the government has raised non-development budget by 26 percent for maintaining law and order in the restive province by allocating Rs 708 million. Besides this, the government will increase the number of police stations and pickets in Quetta while Rs 215 million were allocated for buying sophisticated weapons and other equipment for the police and Balochistan Levies. Langov said the government has allocated Rs 2.517 billion for education, an increase of 17 percent compared to previous budget. The government has established Balochistan Education Endowment Company by spending Rs 5 billion under the Balochistan Endowment Fund.
“The students from every district at primary to university level would be given opportunity to study with the prestigious national and international educational institutions,” he said.
As many as 200 new primary schools would be established in the province while 456 primary schools would be given status of middle schools.
Around 1,741 new jobs will be created in education sector. The government has allocated Rs 25 million for construction of new examination halls, computer laboratory and libraries at high schools of the province.
Land has been allocated for a university in Sibi, which was announced by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “The government has approved establishment of four new colleges in those areas of Balochistan where students have not facilities of colleges,” Advisor to Finance Department said. The Balochistan government has allocated Rs 15.482 billion for the Health Department, increasing nine percent from the previous budget allocated for the department.
“Government has given nutrition and a PC-1 has already been approved. Around 1.490 billion rupees for this purpose has been allocated,” he said.
He announced that the government would provide free medicine worth Rs 1.580 billion to the needy people. “The government is initiating Health Insurance Program in 2015-16 at the cost of 2.400 billion rupees,” he said in his written budget speech.
The Balochistan government has allocated Rs 6.802 billion for agriculture, increasing it by 7 percent from the last fiscal year. Around Rs 1.5 billion were allocated for the Green Balochistan Phase II while Rs 3.5 billion were proposed to buy 200 bulldozers while Rs 1 billion proposed for establishing an agriculture university. The government has allocated Rs 2.810 billion for the livestock sector, an increase of 10 percent compared to the previous budget. For providing treatment of sick animals, 265 million rupees were allocated.
Around Rs 619 million were allocated for fisheries, increasing the budget at least 13 percent than the previous year. The government will facilitate the local fishermen for export and take action against the illegal trawling in Balochistan coastal belt.
The government has allocated Rs 142 million for construction of new parks in Quetta while Rs 375 million were allocated for cleaning Quetta by providing them modern machineries, fire fighter vehicles and improving the sewage system. For the local government, around Rs 5 billion were allocated for sanitation policy. The government has completed 1700 kilometre roads and highways while the target for this fiscal year is to complete 2000 km long blacktop roads. Two flyovers would be constructed in Quetta to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. As many as 152 new schemes for construction of roads will be started in this fiscal year. As many as Rs 10 billion have been allocated for a total 391 road-related schemes while Rs 800 million were allocated for the construction of Parking Complex at Civil Secretariat in Quetta. The government has allocated Rs 1.594 billion for mines and mineral sector, an increase of 60 percent compare to the last fiscal year. The entire illegal lease for mining will be suspended, Advisor on Finance Department said.
The government has allocated Rs 1.838 billion for irrigation while eight mega projects worth Rs 30 billion are under construction with the financial help of the federal government. The federal government is helping for five new mega projects at the expense of 19 billion rupees. Balochistan has allocated Rs 14.334 billion for the energy sector.
“The government has increased 161 percent compare to last fiscal year for the energy sector,” Langov said. Solar energy project will be initiated at the expense of Rs 1 billion while 300 villages will be provided electricity. “The government is providing subsidy worth Rs 13 billion to the growers,” he said. “By providing Tube Well run on solar energy would help the growers to get electricity eight to ten hours per day.”
The government buildings would be provided electricity through solar power projects on which Rs 157 million will be spent. Meager resources were allocated for Information, sports, culture, industries and commerce.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk