ISLAMABAD: The government of Balochistan has asked donors for Rs 7.7 billion for the implementation of Community Led Local Governance (CLLG) Policy.
In the PSDP of fiscal year 2023-24, the Government of Balochistan has already allocated Rs 1.5 billion for the implementation of the CLLG Policy.
In this regard, a Development Partners Forum was organized by the Government of Balochistan in the federal capital Islamabad with the support of the European Union funded BRACE Technical Assistance Project implemented by DAI.
In his opening remarks, Additional Chief Secretary apprised that providing legal cover to community organization in Local Government Act, 2010, approval of the Government of Balochistan’s Community Led Local Governance (CLLG) Policy, and then developing an outlay of Rs 9.2 billion in PSDP 2023-24 where GOB has allocated Rs 1.5 billion from its own share are historical steps and demonstration of the GOB’s strong commitment and belief in the community led reforms which will transform the development landscape in Balochistan.
He added that the development partners and international donors need to come forward and play their role by joining hand with the government of Balochistan.
Speaking at the event, Chief Secretary Balochistan Abdul Aziz Uqaili said that the CLLG policy is an important step towards the development and prosperity in Balochistan, but to make it a success, all relevant institutions and donors have to play their role. Balochistan being the largest province demands attention. With the support of the European Union, the CLLLG Policy has been formulated and in the future, EU support will be essential for the implementation of this policy. We also expect other donors to play their role.
Secretary Local Government & Rural Development, Balochistan Dostian Jamaldini also addressed the event. He said that through CLLG Policy, poverty will be dented in Balochistan, while health, education livelihoods, community infrastructure and other sectors will gradually improve.
Talking during the panel discussion at the development partners’ forum, Member Balochistan Assembly and Chairman Standing Committee Local Government Qadir Ali Nayel said that the local government system in Balochistan has been in existence for many decades and it has undergone various changes over the years.
The Balochistan Local Government Act 2010 was an important step towards improving local governance in the province. However, with the passage of time, further reforms were needed to improve the functioning of the system.
Dr. Inaam Ul Haq from International Islamic University during the panel discussion stated that academia’s role in CLLG Policy is very important. He emphasized the importance of the academia based research which enables proper planning and implementation of the community based interventions and its evaluation for lesson learning and continuous improvements.
