Prime Minister Imran Khan announces Rs 446b package to uplift Sindh’s backward areas
The prime minister, while addressing a ceremony to hand over business loan cheques among the entitled youths here, said the proposed projects would start getting shape within a month as feasibility studies had already been completed.
Federal ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Ali Haider Zaidi, Asad Umar, Mohammad Mian Soomro, Special Assistant Dr Sania Nishtar, Sindh Governor Imran Islamil and Usman Dar accompanied the prime minister.
The prime minister said he was pleased to visit the interior Sindh with a good news of development package, which otherwise was the responsibility of the provincial government under 18th amendment.
He said Interior Sindh was the poorest area of the country, besides Southern Balochistan and now merged tribal districts. He also likened the development outlook of the interior Sindh with Mohenjo-Daro and said instead of any advancement of the people were moving backward.
He said the people of interior Sindh were living in difficult circumstances without basic facilities and rights besides facing victimization through police.
The development package consisted of the restoration of 200,000 acres of land, upgradation of 14 passports offices, construction of Nai Gaj Dam to irrigate around 28,800 acres, 306-kilometer Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, gas supply to 160 villages and annual 30,000 new power connections to the deprived districts.
“Insha Allah, we will assist the uplift of backward areas of Pakistan honesty and trustfully. I am proud that we gave first development package for Southern Balochistan in Pakistan’s history. We also gave the biggest package for now merged tribal area which would be increased too… I again commit to my people in Sindh that I will try my utmost to improve their living condition,” he said.
The prime minister told the gathering that his government inherited the biggest debt burden. During last two and half years, his government had returned Rs 35,000 billion debt – Rs 15,000 billion more than the previous government.
He said the same Rs 15,000 billion could have been spent for public welfare for construction of roads, irrigation and infrastructure development to change the fate of backward areas.
He said despite giving its allocated share to Sindh province, the federal government had scrapped this Rs 446 billion for Sindh development package which would focus skill training to youth, business loans, sports facilities and building communication network.
He said it was essential to exploit the potential of 60pc below 30 population to make them an asset who otherwise would become a liability.
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