Security, other issues slow down pace of Balochistan's uplift projects: Senate body informed

Secretary Planning, Development and Reforms, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui has said that security and unavailability of contractors is the main issue behind slow pace of development projects in Balochistan. The secretary Planning, Development and Reforms told this to the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reforms, which met here at Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) on Tuesday. The committee discussed various projects, particularly relating to Balochistan.
The secretary planning said that Rs 53.4 billion could not be spent on development projects during 2013 due to unavailability of contractors as well as security and other issues. He said that the cost of the projects escalated due to unavailability of the contractors and security situation in Balochistan. He said that the Planning Commission reviews the development projects quarterly and releases funds on the demands of various ministries. He said that in this review, they found slow moving and fast moving projects. He said that Planning Commission releases funds timely while the ministries are responsible for delay in projects. He said that as many as 66 development projects, worth Rs 3.4 billion, are slow moving projects. "We shift the funds from slow moving projects to fast moving projects to complete them timely," he added. The secretary said that Balochistan government should engage the federal government to expedite the development projects.
Senator Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar said that there are many projects in Balochistan on which even 10 percent work is not done. He said that many projects relating to supply of water have been delayed. Secretary Planning Shoaib Siddiqui said that work would start quickly on the projects relating to water supply, particularly in Gwadar and other parts of Balochistan. He said that since January 01, a Chinese company has been providing 200,000 gallons of water per day to Gwadar city.
Another official of Planning Commission told the committee that as many as 20 small dams, out of 100 dams package, have been completed in Package-1 in Balochistan. He said that another 24 dams out of 26 in Package-2 have been completed while work is underway on 20 dams under Package-3. He said that no contractor is ready to start work on Mangi Dam. Senator Usman Kakar said that a total of Rs 285 million were allocated for construction of Loralai University but funds were not spent for this purpose.