Two Thar coal schemes taken back from MoWP

The Sindh government has succeeded in taking back two schemes from the Ministry of Water and Power, it is learnt. According to sources, the Planning Commission had asked the Ministry of Water and Power to execute two schemes--'construction of new processing facilities (for handling and purification of coal gas produced by underground coal gasification) with a cost of Rs 490.480 million', and 'creation of new processing facilities (for handling and purification of coal gas produced by underground coal gasification) at a cost of Rs 494.480 million.
They said that the PC through a letter had requested the Sindh government for the administrative approval of these two schemes as the schemes had been provided full funding from the federal government's public sector development program (PSDP) for implementation.
But the project review committee, constituted by Prime Minister under the chairmanship of Secretary Establishment Division, recommended transfer of these schemes to Thar Coal Energy Board (TCEB) of Sindh government recently, they added. They said that the purpose of these schemes was to complete pilot study of 50MW in next 15 months based on Thar Coal Block-V and other mega projects for 1000 MW could be started after achieving positive results.
The gas would generate electric power and it would be new technology of safe mining of coal and also environment-friendly. The preferred fuel would be indigenous natural coal gas and indigenous coal for all thermal power plants to be set up in the country in near future, they opined.
The committee also felt that the scope of project should not be limited only to district Tharparkar, and be broadened to cover coal deposits of other areas so that the coal deposits of Punjab, NWFP, Balochistan, FATA, NA and AJK may be included in future.
Moreover, the Sindh government had recently notified that administrative set-up for implementation of the schemes in Thar Coal Block-V would be executed by Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Member, Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan, through the Project Monitoring Unit, which would work under the Coal and Energy Development Department, sources added.
According to a notification, Dr Samar Mubarakmand would be the chairman of the governing body, while Additional Chief Secretary (Development), Government of Sindh vice chairman, Secretary Coal and Energy Development Department, Secretary Finance, Director General of Sindh Coal Authority and Managing Director/Project Director as its members.