CPEC to bring Balochistan on par with developed areas: CPEC Authority chief
by Shafqat Ali
HOSHAB, July 4 (Gwadar Pro) - Chairman China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa (retd) said on Saturday afternoon that CPEC will bring Balochistan on par with the developed areas.
He said that construction of road network under multiple-billion CPEC project would help address 72-year-old complaints and grievances of the people of Balochistan.
Speaking to journalists here, during his visit to Hoshab-Awaran road, which is being constructed under CPEC, he said that development of roads in Balochistan was key priority of the government to improve Gwadar port’s connectivity with other parts of the country.
He said that over 70 percent development work on Baseema-Khuzdar has been completed, adding that the project of significant importance would be completed by the end of the current year, which would connect Gwadar port with other parts of the country.
“Today we are visiting this road construction project, which would connect Gwadar port with the northern part of the country, he said adding that prime minister would soon visit Gwadar and witness the progress of different projects started under the second phase of CPEC.
Asim Saleem Bajwa said in order to electrify the remote areas of the province, work on 150 MW project in Gwadar was also in progress, work on different projects related to clean drinking water were also in progress.
“Over 31 dams would be constructed in 9 underdeveloped districts of Balochistan, he said, adding that out of the total, construction work on 15 dams had already started and work on 16 new dams will start soon,” he said.
Bajwa said that development work on 15 dams would be completed, besides the construction work on Kharan and Lesbala also continued.
Besides, he said that work on Gwadar Airport costing US $230 billion was also in progress, which would have the capacity for the landing of big cargo aircraft and equipped with the latest communications techniques for the fastest port operation.
Chairman CPEC Authority said that Gwadar port would bring economic revolution and social prosperity in the province, adding that remote regions will be developed for bringing them at par with other developed areas of the country.
He said that development of Gwadar port was top priority of Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding that construction work on different roads were in full swing to connect the port with other areas of the country that would create economic activities and create livelihood opportunities for rural population.
He said the government was working aggressively to address the issues of people of the province by ensuring basic civic amenities including education, health, drinking water, electricity and communications.
In order to uplift the underdeveloped areas of the province, the government under the special directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan has prepared a development package comprising over Rs 6 billion and different schemes in collaboration with the federal government, provincial government and public private partnership to be completed.
He further informed that currently work on about 80 on-going schemes was in progress and several other development schemes have been incorporated in the development package.
