QUETTA: The Planning and Development Depart­ment has given authorisation of Rs55 billion for carrying out new and ongoing projects inclu­ded in the Public Sector Development Programme for the year 2020-21.

This was informed during a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani and Chief Secretary retired Captain Fazeel Asghar on Tuesday.

The meeting, held to review the Annual Deve­lo­pment Programme 2020-21, was told that out of 1,597 new schemes included in the current year’s PSDP, 1,505 had been approved by the PDWP and DSC, while the finance department had released more than Rs44bn for the new and old projects.

The meeting was informed that land had been proposed in the Spiny Road area for the construction of new block of Balochistan Civil Secretariat, while the construction of new smart building for government departments and directorates would be carried out at the new site.

CM Alyani said that Balochistan had mineral resources and there were vast reserves of gas, gold, marble and other minerals.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2021