News Desk: Balochistan has successfully enrolled 281,000 out-of-school children, completed 2,380 development projects, eradicated 100 percent of poppy cultivation, and addressed 1,669 public complaints received through open forums, a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakil Qadir Khan was informed on Monday.
The Chief Secretary presided over a conference of divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners in Quetta, where officials reviewed progress on education, development projects, public service delivery, and governance reforms across the province.
During the meeting, Shakil Qadir Khan praised deputy commissioners for their performance in the province-wide school enrollment campaign, which resulted in the admission of 281,000 children this year. He announced that certificates of appreciation would be awarded to deputy commissioners who demonstrated outstanding performance.
A briefing by the Monitoring and Evaluation Section revealed that officials had inspected 3,020 development projects across Balochistan. Of these, 2,380 projects have been completed, while work on the remaining schemes is progressing and expected to be finalized soon.
The meeting was further informed that under the first phase of the Balochistan Sustainable Development Initiative (BSDI), 703 out of 908 projects have been completed. In the second phase, 206 of the 1,200 approved development projects have already been finalized.
The Chief Secretary directed authorities to ensure the timely release of funds for development schemes to avoid delays in project completion.
Officials also reported that 100 percent of poppy cultivation on identified land in the province has been eradicated, marking a significant achievement in anti-narcotics efforts.
Addressing governance and public service delivery, Shakil Qadir Khan emphasized that public officials must consider serving citizens as their foremost responsibility. He said such a mindset not only promotes public welfare and development but also strengthens trust between the government and the people.
The conference was informed that 52 open public forums (Khuli Kacheries) had been organized across the province, where citizens registered 1,669 complaints. The Chief Secretary instructed all relevant departments to ensure prompt resolution of every complaint.
He also directed district administrations to prioritize the provision of safe drinking water, quality education, healthcare facilities, and the availability of essential food items at government-approved prices throughout the province.
