The Sindh government and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an airstrip at Islamkot for developing the vast reserves of Thar coalfields and facilitate foreign investors, Business Recorder learnt on Tuesday.
According to sources, the CAA, after obtaining formal permission from the General Headquarters (GHQ), approached the Sindh government to enter an agreement to start construction work to establish airstrip at Islamkot, Tharparkar district, aimed at facilitating investors to reach Thar coalfields by air.
Senior officials of Sindh Mines and Minerals Development Department and CAA on April 17, 2010 at Sindh Secretariat Building No 2 signed the MoU, they said. The GHQ and the Ministry of Defence had written a letter to the CAA, asking it to obtain clearance regarding setting up of airstrip at Islamkot as it was located near to the international border in district Tharparkar.
Sindh government had approved the location of airstrip with a total cost of Rs 972.070 million and the CAA was tasked to undertake construction of the work, maintenance of the airstrip etc, they added. After receiving go-ahead from the GHQ, the CAA forwarded a letter to the Sindh government for the release of the allocated funds and signing of an MoU so that development work could be started as soon as possible, sources said, adding that Islamkot airstrip is a part infrastructure to ensure provision of basic facilities at Thar coal to local and foreign investors and other technical staff.
They said that the Finance Department had released all the funds to the CAA a few days back, and added that the airstrip would be made operational by June 2011. The project is of public interest besides having immense national importance, they said, and added that further delay in the execution would lead to great loss to the country.
They said that the Sindh government would provide funds only while the CAA would be responsible for the execution of airstrip, its maintenance, etc. Initially, Pakistan International Airline (PIA) would operate chartered/general aviation craft flights while the airstrip would also be used by military. The airstrip would also be used for local use as the Thar coalfields started generation of electricity.
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