PM’s Baluchistan package in line with CPEC to bring prosperity in the region
By. Fatima Javed
The recently announced billion rupees Baluchistan package is beneficial for the population of 9 most underprivileged districts of Pakistan. Along with CPEC and Gwadar projects, it would bring development and prosperity in the region.
These new projects will be a golden opportunity to address the issues of the people of the poor areas of Baluchistan. It will eventually benefit them from employment and other financial opportunities offered by CPEC.
Mega development projects for South Baluchistan areas were launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself. The projects included areas of health, education, dams, agriculture and connectivity.
In the health sector, 200-bed Makran Medical Teaching Hospital and 210 basic health units will be established in these districts. 150 male and female nurses would be posted in these units every year.
In the electricity and gas sector, expansion of power and gas supply networks would be initiated. From 13% the number of people who will be getting electricity through grid, wind and solar energy will increase to 57% in the area.
Moreover, 16 dams will be constructed and 0.15 million acres of land will be cultivated.
The development plan is expected to create more than 120,000 jobs for the area where 0.7 million people of up to 35 years are unemployed.
In the education sector, the government of Pakistan will provide skill training to 35,000 youth and will help to enroll 83,000 children in the schools while facilitating over 640,000 children through accelerated and distance learning programs.
Under the plan, 35,000 youth will be imparted skill training to enable them to earn as freelancer besides extending 4G internet facilities to another 0.5 million people. Work on Phase II of the University of Turbat is also in the package under which new departments and more facilities will be made available for the students.
To improve the transportation and connectivity of the region, ground breaking of extension of Turbat airport and the 146 kilometer Hoshab-Awaran section of M-8 motorway was also done. Establishment of six border markets, three dates processing units and an olive extraction unit are also part of the development package.
The government’s aim of initiating these projects in Baluchistan’s least developed areas was to improve the economic condition of the local people, giving them the basic necessities of life. Though rich in mineral resources, so far Baluchistan’s contribution to the economy of Pakistan has not been high which has consequently affected its development.
Now, with the starting of these development projects by the government and construction of the western route of CPEC, property values will skyrocket in these areas.
This largely unexplored mineral rich province of Baluchistan, with a large coastal belt, holds tremendous promise for national development as well as strategic connectivity with regional countries, through land and sea routes.