QUETTA, June 20: Of the Rs44 billion set aside in the Balochistan budget for next year’s Annual Development Plan, a major chunk of Rs29.30bn or more than 66 per cent would be spent on new schemes while Rs14.63bn would be utilised on 638 ongoing schemes.

The next year’s development spending focuses more on improving social service delivery rather than on infrastructure building stressed by the previous government.

“An effort has been made in the next budget to bring a change by focusing more on social sector and on production rather than investing on development side.

“By doing so, the government can bridge the gap between the targets and current status indicators of health and education set in Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) declaration,” the document said.

For the first time in the history of the province, a drastic increase in investment has been raised in social sector, especially education and health.

According to budget papers, 101 new schemes would be initiated to implement the development vision of the new coalition government as per its priorities.

This was, however, unclear whether the old schemes have been completed or left incomplete as no fresh funds have been allocated for such schemes.

The total number of schemes to be executed next year would be 739.

All new schemes are of collective nature and would benefit the public at large and most of them were included in the plan after a thorough scrutiny and consultation with public representatives and civil society.

The government hopes that the next year’s development programme would contribute a lot to poverty-alleviation.

Besides improving the delivery of social services to the people, next year’s development programme focuses on creating infrastructure to promote industry, agriculture and trade in the province.

In addition, it would help government exploit the mineral potential of the province and develop the fisheries sector, which one its major economic strengths.

Major sectoral allocations include education 23pc, health and public health engineering 14pc, water supply 6pc, roads 18.6pc, power 6pc, and agriculture 5.2pc.

The proposed development spending for the next year is 22pc more than Rs36bn estimated for this year.

The money for development has been raised from the revenue surplus of Rs40 billion and the expected foreign project assistance of Rs4bn.

Major initiatives include establishment of common border markets with Iran and Afghanistan, creation of special economic zones in Quetta and Lasbela and industrial estates in Hub, Quetta and Dera Murad Jamali, installation of water filter plants at various areas of the province, including Gwadar, cancellation of leases in the mineral sector, and production of solar power for 300 villages.