70 percent of jobs in Thar coal projects to be provided to local people: Qaim

The Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has announced that 70 percent jobs in Thar Coal Energy Projects would be provided to local people and Sindh government to establish Technical Training Centre at Mithi where special technical training would be provided to the youth belonging to the Thar area with free of cost and stipend as incentive.
This he said while talking the journalists after taking briefing from the officers concerned about the on-going development works at the site of Coal Mine at Thario Halepoto, seventy kilometers away from Mithi on Sunday.
Sindh Chief Minister said that to bring socio-economic revolution and prosperity among the people of Thar area was the dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and PPP government was on the mission to complete it in later and spirit. He said that Thar coal reserve would not only to pave the way for the prosperity in the people of Thar area and Sindh province but also in whole country and it will open new chapter for the development in the history of Pakistan.
He said that we are fortunate enough to have 9100 sq. kilometer land having 1.75 billion tons of coal reserves in Thar area, which was sufficient to meet the energy requirements of the country for a century. He said that at present survey of three blocks was being carried-out by an American company, while the renowned scientist Dr Sammar Ali Mubarak has also been engaged to do research for production of gas from these fields. Besides, the research by Pak Engro Company was also in progress for production of fertiliser from these natural resources which ultimately bring prosperity in the country.
He directed the MD SIDA to complete the project for supply of fresh water from Nabisar Shakh to Coal mine fields within shortest possible time for which Rs 2.5 million have been reserved. Sindh Chief Minister also physically witnessed the wells from which the samples of the coals are being taken. The Director Coal Mines Sohail and MD SIDA Mohammad Mithal Abbasi briefed the Sindh Chief Minister about the on-going development works at the coal fields.
Earlier, the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah while addressing inaugural ceremony of desalination water plant at Village Kantio, Taluka Chhachhro, District Tharparkar directed the authority concerned to prepare and submit feasibility report for converting subsurface saline water of Thar desert into the useable for drinking and cultivation purpose as PPP government intends to bring social economic revolution for the people of Thar desert.
Qaim Ali Shah said that PPP government was considering its duty to not only to provide supply of potable water to the people of Thar area but also to provide them irrigation water for cultivation purpose so that barren land of Thar can be converted into fertile. He said that as many as 14 desalination water plants have been installed in three talukas including Umerkot, Chhachhro and Deeplo at the cost of Rs 102.344 million which started functioning from today, while 29 additional plants were also being installed at the different parts of Thar at the cost of Rs 255 millions. Subsequently these plants to provide drinking water and irrigation water facilities to the inhabitants of Thar. He directed the authority concerned to prepare feasibility report for exploitation of subsurface saline water of Thar to facilitate whole population of Thar which comprised on 1.4 million people.
Chief Minister said that the PPP government to defend the rights of the province in each field including due share of water and added that it can be reveal from the fact that PPP government has abolished the controversial scheme of Kala Bagh Dam.
He said that people of Thar were fortune enough to have big reserves of coal mine in their soil. He said that it was PPP government which sincerely has considered and planned for utilisation of these reserves of black gold. He said that Sindh government was on the way to generate energy power which according to him will not only to meet the requirements of the country but also to enable country to export and earn foreign exchange.
Sindh Minister for Agriculture Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Senator Dr Khatoomal Jeewan, MNA Mahesh Kumar Malani, MPA Sharjeel Inam Memon, Ex-MPA Inayat Rahimoo, Secretary Coal Mines Agha Aijaz Ali Khan and other officer were present on the occasion.