QUETTA, June 22 (APP) : Balochistan finance minister Asim Kurd Gailu on Sunday said that the government would fill 10,000 vacancies including 2400 newly created posts and 7500 already lying vacant posts during the financial year 2008-09 aimed at reducing unemployment in the province.
The finance minister who was accompanied with the provincial finance secretary Mehfooz Ali Khan was addressing a post-budget press conference here at the officers? club. The finance minister said that the government was increasing its resources through exploration of natural resources which would also generate employment opportunities in private sectors in the province.
He said the government had prepared the budget 2008-09 despite facing financial crisis and constraints and sincere efforts were underway to overcome the financial constraints in the province.

Referring to the Rs19 billion loan of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), he

said that the provincial government would take up the matter of overdraft of Rs19

billion with the Governor SBP for waiving off the loan or converting it into soft

loan which would improve financial condition of the province.

He expressed the hope that the province would get more resources after the announcement of new NFC award which would also help to overcome financial difficulties.

The finance minister said the government had not included new development scheme in the budget 2008-09 as it was committed to complete the ongoing development projects within the stipulated time. Completion of these schemes would benefit the people in the province.

He, however, said that the government had set Rs3.25 billion for launching new development schemes. The amount will be spent on new schemes in consultation with the coalition partners in the government and identifying new schemes by MPAs. Each assembly members are authorized to launch new schemes worth Rs15 million in their respective constituencies which should be completed within two to three years.

To question, secretary finance Mehfooz Ali said the allocation of funds for development projects had been increased from Rs35 billion to Rs55 billion due to increase of material prices in the province. Adding the government had not included any new scheme in PSDP as it wanted to ensure timely completion of the ongoing development projects in the province.

He said the government will make functional all district hospitals and schools aimed at providing maximum health and education facilities in the province. The government will provide more funds for the purposes.

The finance secretary said that the government would provide scholarships to 24,000 students while free books would be provided to all students up to matriculation in the province.

He said that the government had also put aside handsome amount for coping with natural disasters that is why the current expenditure showed higher in budget 2008-09 than the previous budget.

He said the government had got revenue Rs30 million from Chamalang coalfield, besides the coal reserves field had provided job opportunities to 10,000 people.

Mehfooz Ali said the revenue of the government had increased from Rs30 million to Rs260 million from Saindak gold project, adding that the revenue of government was Rs one billion four years ago and now, it had increased to Rs3 billion.

He said the federal government will not only consider the population in the coming NFC award, but it will also regard the scattered population and other issues of other provinces.

He also expressed the hope that the financial constraints and problems of the province would be resolved after announcement of the new NFC award and said Balochistan government had nominated Dr Gul Faraz Khan as its technical member for the coming NFC award.

To a question, he said that the government had called Frontier Corps personnel from other province for maintaining law and order in the province. The provincial government had spent Rs300 million for the purpose. Now, some wings of the FC personnel had been sent back.