FEDERAL SPENDING IN BALOCHISTAN

For the past many decades, the Federal Government is making big announcement and allocating an impressive amount of funds for development of Balochistan in the budget annually and when the financial year come to a close, it is normally revealed that the Federal Government had spent less than 30 per cent for development of Balochistan. Whenever the Federal Government is facing the financial crunch, Balochistan had become the first victim facing drastic cuts in development spending slashing allocated funds by 50 per cent in one go and later on it is further reduced to less than 30 per cent spending. This practice had exposed the real intentions of the Federal Government, regardless of the party in power, towards Balochistan which is meant to deny funds by delaying mega projects. We can cite dozens of mega projects for development of Balochistan which took more than three decades to complete and some of them are still in the process of completion. The Planning Commission officials briefed the Chief Minister and his economic managers confirming that the Federal Government had spent merely Rs 11 billion in Balochistan during the current fiscal year. The officials of the Federal Government promised to release Rs 5 billion more at the end of the fiscal year. It is admission of deliberate attempt to deny funds. Releasing funds by end of the June is nothing but allowing the officials, engineers and ministers to pilferage the fund. Rs five billions can not be consumed or spent in hours or in days. It is nothing but to patronize corruption in Balochistan so that the fruits of development should not reach the people, the most deserving people in remote corners of Balochistan. For example, the RCD Highway is under construction for the past 55 years and it is not complete. On the other hand, the Motorway linking Lahore with Rawalpindi was constructed in a record period of eight months and the funding for the project had never been hampered as it meant to develop Central Punjab and link it up with northern Punjab. There is a 40-kilometer patch of RCD Highway between Khad Kocha and Lak Pass is under construction for the past six years. It is the political constituency of the Chief Minister and the rebuilding is not complete only to humiliate the Chief Executive Balochistan, the elected Chief Minister of Balochistan. Similarly, construction of Gwadar deep water port had been left in half way, there is no chance to complete Kachhi Canal ensuring cultivation of over eight hundred thousands of highly fertile land that will make Balochistan food sufficient from food deficit. Similarly, the land leveling at the Mirani Dam is still incomplete for the past many years only to delay production of primary products in the food deficit region of Mekran. Now there is a promise that the Federal Government will enhance allocation of development funds for Balochistan in the Federal PSDP. This time, Balochistan will get Rs three billions more. At the end of the fiscal year, it will be known how much money the Federal Government had spent on development projects in Balochistan during the next fiscal year.