Balochistan Presents Historic 1,028 Billion Rupee Surplus Budget, Focuses on Development and Savings

Quetta: The Balochistan government has presented a historic surplus budget worth 1,028 billion rupees, the largest in the province’s history. Provincial Finance Minister Shoyeb Nosherwani announced that the government utilized 100% of allocated funds, saving 14 billion rupees through austerity measures, and eliminated 6,000 unnecessary positions.
The budget session, chaired by Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, saw the presentation of the budget by Minister Shoyeb Nosherwani. In his address, Nosherwani emphasized that the provincial government is committed to providing relief to the people and creating employment opportunities for the youth, leveraging Balochistan’s abundant resources. He further highlighted the achievements of the provincial government in a short time, including better development outcomes, financial transparency, and a special focus on rural development.
Nosherwani stated, “Through prudent financial management, we have saved 14 billion rupees and eliminated 6,000 unnecessary government positions.” He also noted that for the first time, the province was presenting a budget exceeding 1,000 billion rupees, with a total allocation of 1,028 billion rupees.
The budget outlines several key initiatives, including a 5 billion rupee allocation for technical education, 18 billion rupees for Safe City projects in eight cities, and 500 million rupees to address climate change challenges. Health and education sectors have also received significant funds, with 16.4 billion rupees for health development projects and 28 billion rupees allocated to education.
In terms of development, 1,170 contract positions and 67 regular positions have been created in the education sector. For the agricultural sector, 10 billion rupees have been earmarked for development, while 16.77 billion rupees will be used for non-developmental matters. In addition, 26.9 million rupees have been allocated to the Department of Food for development activities.
Nosherwani also confirmed that the provincial government would not purchase new vehicles for non-essential purposes but would procure vehicles for security forces as needed. Furthermore, in partnership with Pakistan Railways, the provincial government will launch the People’s Train Service, initially running between Quetta, Saryab, and Kuchlak, with upgrades to five existing railway stations and the construction of two new ones.
The budget has been met with optimism, as it focuses on transparency, development, and the betterment of the people of Balochistan.