12 proposals from Balochistan Package implemented: 20 items in advanced stage of completion

The government has implemented 12 proposals related to financial clauses of Aghaz-e-Huqooq Balochistan (AHB), designed to ameliorate social and economic conditions of the people of Balochistan. Sources said that 20 proposals are at an advanced stage of preparation and would be implemented soon.
A special meeting is expected to be convened in a week''s time to give a detailed briefing on implementation status to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Balochistan would be paid Rs 120 billion each year, for the next 12 years, besides Rs 10 billion annually on account of gas development surcharge and royalty after equalisation of wellhead price.
Previously, Balochistan was getting lower wellhead price compared to other provinces, which has now been equalised across the country as per new NFC award. The federal government has already released Rs 2 billion outstanding to the province for relief of flood affected families.
The recruitment of 25,000 posts by granting a relaxation in age is also underway, and 5,000 jobs have been given by federal government from its own quota to the province. Sources also said that 13 small water dams are planned to be built to overcome water shortage. To bring Balochistan at par with other provinces in respect of education, the government has approved 600 scholarships for Baloch students including 200 scholarships for Master''s programme to be awarded to 50 students every year.
Secretary, Establishment Division, Ismail Qureshi, chaired a meeting of various ministries and divisions to review the implementation process of the package. The meeting, attended by secretaries/representatives of various ministries and divisions including Finance, Interior, Port and Shipping and Planning and Development, discussed constitutional, political, administrative, economic/financial matters and monitoring mechanism of the Balochistan package.
Secretary of Establishment Division urged the relevant ministries to expedite the process of implementation so that people of Balochistan could benefit from the package. About constitutional matters, the meeting was informed that Parliamentary Committee was working in this regard while share of the province under the NFC award had been increased from 5.1 percent to 9.5 percent. The province would be given Rs 1 billion for rehabilitation/resettlement of the IDPs.