The federal government has decided to give Rs. 250,000 to each of the 3,291 fishermen in Gwadar in order for them to purchase boat engines.
In this regard, it approved the disbursement of around Rs. 823 million to Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), after which the finance ministry will release the amount to the GPA, which will subsequently distribute them to the fishermen, who are registered with the Balochistan’s fisheries department.
The development comes after Prime Minister (PM), Shehbaz Sharif, pledged the provision of around 2,000 engines for underprivileged fishermen within three months during his visit to Gwadar port on 3 June.
After the announcement, PM Office instructed the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to finish the required paperwork for the provision of engines and to ensure that the beneficiaries are shortlisted transparently.
Resultantly, the Maritime Ministry submitted a project proposal to the Planning Commission to provide 2,000 engines to fishermen for Rs. 500 million over a one-year period. However, the amount was later revised from Rs. 500 million to Rs. 822.75 million, which will now benefit 3,291 fishermen.
According to an official, the government took more than six months to process the case, which was pre-approved by the PM and it remains unclear whether fishermen will be able to utilize these funds effectively.
