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Seeking solutions for Baloch puzzle
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Visits
212
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Visits
212
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Visits
212
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June 22, 2012
After martyring old nationalist leader of Balochistan Nawab Akbar Bugti, the dictator had continued multiplying tensions for the province instead of changing his attitude to apologizing mode for Balochistan. Then the new faces replaced with old ones, a little bit change has experienced in the system. The people, who were fully disappointed, started seeing dreams of new hopes that it might cease their pains. But the situation remained identical, same sad stories, suffering of unemployment, same bloodshed, same roaring behaviors, extra judicial killings and arresting missing persons, the continuity in recovery of tortured dead bodies and much more miseries that can’t be transform even into written form.
The dreams of the people have shattered who were seeking change as the democratic government has not done something notable during its on-going term to eliminate sense of deprivation among people of Balochistan.
The fate of Balochistan has not changed as the standard of life is the same for so many years and the story of miseries continued. Ever isolated from Balochistan, Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani has bought a plane having worth of over 1.3 billion rupees, this information was revealed by Provincial Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd Gello during a briefing after presenting provincial budget for fiscal year 2012-13. He stated that some 60 to 70 million rupees were spent over the rectification of old plane. He said the CM Balochistan is of the view that their government will have to go after 4 or 5 months and the plane would benefit for new government.
The funds of 5 million rupees were allocated for the expenditures of Governor Secretariat for the fiscal year 2011-12, but the funds actually spent over Governor Secretariat remained 170 million rupees. Similarly, the funds allocated for the CM was 5 million rupees but 90.5 million rupees were spent for the fiscal year 2011-12.
Government of Balochistan has presented annual tax free budget for the fiscal year 2012-13 with outlay of Rs179 billion. The funds allocated for law and order are 13 billion rupees, 9.78 billion rupees for health and 23 billion rupees for education.
Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd Gello stated that the government of Balochistan has decided to establish investment board so that the projects of Saindik and Reqo Dik would be presented in the market for financial benefits.
Subsidy on agriculture tube wells is one of the important issue in Balochistan, the Provincial government allocated Rs 3 billion in this regard while Rs 4 billion would be provided by the Federal government to the provincial increasing the total volume of subsidy to Rs billion.
Meanwhile, pollution free solar home system, worth Rs 888 million would be launched to save energy in the province. The government increased several allowances including adhoc relief allowance, Char coal allowance and conveyance of the government employees while minimum wage of labor has set to Rs 7000.
Upon receiving Rs 800 million from the Japanese government Pasni Fish Harbor would be maintained while clean drinking water projects would be launched in Gwadar and other areas.
The Finance Minister said that the government reserved extra funds in the budget for the reconstruction of the roads, adding that Rs 5.2 billion has been reserved in the budget for agriculture and the government would provide financial assistance to small farmers.
He said that the provincial government from its own resources would generate 5 million rupees extra revenue while the federal government in terms of NFC award and Sui Gas surcharge would provide the remaining amount.
Large claims have been made of brightening the future of the common people. Billions of funds allocated for education and health are being termed as if they were entirely meant for the people’s welfare. But, President People’s Party Balochistan and provincial minister Sadiq Imrani has said there had been no mention of the aircraft, bought for the Chief Minister, in the budget document. Opposition member, Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind in an interview has termed the budget for the fiscal year 2012-13 as a mere jugglery of statistics and figures, and said mega corruption is being done in the name of development projects, and that the buyers of an aircraft of worth Rupees 1600 million and all the spendthrifts spending away the resources of Balochistan would soon be behind the bars.
The current rulers have nothing to do with the progress of the people and with the solutions of their problems. The corrupt rulers sitting in the assembly are looting the people’s resources with both hands breaking all records of corruption. Budget was merely a formal proceeding. There is no prominent project for bettering the standard of living of the people whereas the projects of corruption and receiving kickbacks are on the go. Chief Minister and the Finance minister are involved in corruption and embezzlements, as there is no mention of the aircraft, whose price amounts to Rupees 1600 million, in the budget. As far as peace situation in Balochistan is concerned, it has been claimed that funds have been allocated for the purpose but it should also be clarified how much the government was successful in meeting the goals of peace in Balochistan, because extra-judicial arrests, disappearances, and mutilated corpses, abduction and incidents of targeted killings are going on without a halt.
He said the funds, which were received for removing the backwardness of Balochistan, would have made the situation of Balochistan better if half of it were spent on keeping peace in Balochistan. Because no one including the Chief Minister was concerned with the problems of the people, the rulers remain out of the province. He said the looters of public money should not think that they would not be held accountable. They would be held accountable, certainly, and all the people responsible for corruption would be behind the bars.
The people could not be made fools by mere jugglery of words and figures. Provincial President Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party, Usman Kakar has said people of the province do not need aircrafts but education, health, dams, employment, roads and peace. According to the budget document, last year, Rupees 300 million were allocated for provincial ministers and their staff, but the actual expenditure amounted to more than Rupees 420 million, which is 120 million more than the allocated fund.
Meanwhile, National Party decided to go to the judiciary against the unbridled corruption of the government of Balochistan. Moreover, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party and National Party have started consultation for a joint struggle. They also decided to include Balochistan National Party in the proceedings. However, sources have told that the leadership of Balochistan National Party has recorded their reservations against the prejudiced political slogans of Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party about Baloch nation.
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