Converting B Areas into A Areas: APCC proposes Rs 1.357 billion for Balochistan

The Annual Plan Co-ordination Committee (APCC) on Tuesday proposed an allocation of Rs 1.357 billion for converting B Areas into A Areas in Balochistan. The APCC also allocated Rs 750 million for construction of Gwadar International Airport.
The proposed allocation of Rs 1.357 billion would be utilised for converting total 29 troubled areas of Balochistan into A Areas, said a senior police official who attended the APCC meeting. The project, he said, is aimed at converting 29 B areas into A areas of the province.
B areas are the districts where law and order is not satisfactory, but the regular police force could not be deployed there. He hoped that this project would be completed in the next two years. APCC also approved agriculture sector development projects worth over Rs 25 billion and has allocated initial funds for the next fiscal 2007-08.
Ismail Qureshi, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock, after attending the APCC meeting informed that Rs 18.5 billion project of national importance relates to introduction of Drip and Sprinkle Irrigation Technology in the country.
Syed Asif Shah, Secretary Commerce informed that APCC has approved Rs 216 million for the Pakistan Fashion Design School, Rs 30 million for foreign Trade Institute and approved in principle Rs 1.3 billion for the Expo Center Lahore, extension in Expo Center, Karachi and establishment of Institute of Textile and Clothing.
The Ministry of Science and Technology to get 40 percent increase in its development budget in next fiscal year 2007-08 with an allocation of Rs 7 billion. Railway Division to get an allocation of Rs 12 billion, railways official informed.
APCC approved Rs 1 billion for the implementation of Export Plan Pakistan, reduction in cost of doing business and skill development, Rs 450 million for establishment of textile cities in Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. APCC also approved Rs 1.180 billion for 43 ongoing projects and Rs 1 billion for 11 new projects of the environment ministry.