CM Balochistan Directs Crackdown on Illegal Trawling, Calls for Transparency and Speed in Development Projects
Quetta:A high-level meeting of the **Secretaries Committee**, chaired by **Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti**, was held on Tuesday at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat to review the progress of ongoing development projects across various provincial departments.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Ministers **Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi**, **Mir Saleem Khan Khosa**, and **Mir Shoaib Nosherwani**, Chief Secretary **Shakeel Qadir Khan**, Additional Chief Secretary (Development) **Zahid Saleem**, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) **Hamza Shafqat**, Principal Secretary to the CM **Babar Khan**, and administrative secretaries of all departments.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister expressed **serious concern over illegal trawling** in Balochistan’s coastal waters and directed the Fisheries Department to **eliminate the practice completely**. He condemned it as an injustice to local fishermen and coastal communities, stating, *“Illegal trawling will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”*
### Development Projects and Governance Reforms
CM Bugti emphasized that **all departments are responsible for ensuring transparency, quality, and timely completion** of development schemes. He issued clear instructions that **all small-scale projects with 100% allocation must be completed by January 1st of the upcoming year**.
He further warned that **no compromise would be accepted on project quality**, stressing that **timely completion of public welfare projects is a top government priority**. The Chief Minister directed departments to ensure **transparent and timely utilization of allocated funds**.
To improve accountability, he ordered the **creation of an integrated Monitoring and Evaluation (M\&E) system**, which will help track project progress and fund utilization. All departments are now required to **submit monthly progress reports**, and CM Bugti made it clear that **strict action will be taken against officials showing negligence or delays**.
### Education Sector and Institutional Reforms
The meeting also discussed reforms in the **education sector**, where the Chief Minister instructed that **reforms in the Balochistan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education** must be expedited. He stressed that the board should be made **an exemplary institution based on transparency and merit.**
### Foreign-Funded & Federal Projects
CM Bugti directed that the **next meeting should include a comprehensive review of foreign-funded and federal projects**. He criticized the outdated practice of preparing PC-1 documents without physical site visits and announced that **only feasible and practically assessed projects** will now be submitted for approval.
The concept of “concept papers,” he said, is being **abolished**, and only **viable PC-1s** will be considered.
### Budget and Planning Directives
Looking ahead, the Chief Minister ordered that **departmental approvals for all development projects must be finalized at least three months before the new fiscal year’s budget**, to allow timely and effective implementation.
He concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to utilizing the province’s resources for **public service and welfare**, with **transparency, efficiency, and accountability** as key pillars of governance.
