Govt gives top priority to developmental in Balochistan: Sarwar
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Labour, Manpower and OverseasPakistanis, Ghulam Sarwar Khan Friday said the government is giving top priority to Balochistan mega projects with a view to bring it in a par with other provinces.
Speaking at a press conference here at his Ministry, the Minister said it is first ever government which has taken a number of measures at grass root level for development of the province.
He said President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz are giving utmost attention to Balochistan’s socio-economic development.
In this regard, Ghulam Sarwar Khan said the Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis has launched various projects in Balochistan including Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Girls College, Labour Colony and Kidney Centre in Quetta according to the vision of President Pervez Musharraf.
The Minister said that OPF College would be completed by June 2008 at a cost of Rs 50 million. The Balochistan government has provided 3 acres of land free of cost to the Ministry for the construction of college, he added.
The college, he added, will provide education up to Secondary level, besides O & A levels education will also be provided to the students. About 800 to 1000 students will get education in the college. “ We will provide all kinds of modern facilities to the college in orderto ensure provision of quality education to the students,” the Labour Minister added. Sarwar Khan said that his Ministry would set up six Excellence Centresin different part of the province to provide technical and vocational training to youth of the province. He said that the ministry has allocated Rs. 193 million for the project and the amount would be released soon.
The Minister said Labour Ministry would construct Balochistan WomenUniversity as well as hostel at the university.
He said the ministry has started work on Labour Colony to accommodate fishermen and workers of Labour Ministry in Balochistan, adding, the project will be completed at a cost of Rs. 50 million. About Kidney Centre inaugurated by President Pervez Musharraf, SarwarKhan said the Labour and Manpower Ministry has established the centre at a cost of Rs 385 million to provide free treatment to workers, adding, Balochistan government had provided 7.5 acres of land for construction of the Center.
The Centre consists of 50-bed, modern operation theater and laboratoryand latest ICU. The ministry has allocated Rs. 210 million to bear the expenses of the Kidney Centre up to December 2008. To a question about manpower export to South Korea, Ghulam Sarwar Khan over 700 Pakistani workers form Balochistan would be sent to Korea and the Ministry would provide training to these people about Korean culture and language.
The steps taken by the government would bring significant change in the living conditions of the downtrodden segments of society in the province as it was neglected in the past, he added.