Chief Secretary Balochistan demands Rs 90 billion double of its share in NFC Award

Chief Secretary Balochistan, Nasir Mehmood Khosa has demanded of the government to at least double its share amounting to Rs 90 billion in the forthcoming NFC Award to bring the under developed province at par with other parts of the country. Speaking at the launch of 'Balochistan Economic Report' by the World Bank, he said that the province gets Rs 44 billion annually as its share from the federal divisible pool and Rs 3.5 billion revenue is generated locally.
The scattered nature of villages in terms of distance needs huge resources to develop infrastructure to accelerate economic growth and increase living standard of the population.
What to talk of social development, he said, adding that more resources are needed for economic and social development of the province. He stressed that the NFC award formula be amended taking into account the development status of the provinces 70 percent of the allocations under the NFC be on the basis of population, while 30 percent should be earmarked for low population density scattered on much larger area as compared to other provinces. Balochistan also has reservations over the existing Gas development Surcharge distribution formula, and the province has forwarded its recommendations in the NFC.
In view of vast water related projects initiated in Balochistan, the province would be hub of agriculture and livestock activity in near future, Khosa said, adding that we are the only province with availability of land and only water management was needed to have bumper agriculture and increasing number of cattle heads.