Explosives for mining: Interior Ministry urged to ensure transparency in issuing licences

Senate Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas has expressed serious concerns over Interior Ministry for issuing licenses for explosive material to its favorite companies for mining in Muslimbagh, Balochistan. The committee met with Senator Muhammad Usman Kakar in the chair here at Parliament House on Friday. The committee discussed the issues relating to explosive's licenses issued for mining in Muslimbagh and employees of National Commission for Human Development (NCHD).
The committee directed the Interior Ministry and Ministry of Industries and Production to take concrete measures to insure the transparency in the issuance of licenses and submit their report in this regard in the next meeting.
The committee chairman told the officials of Interior Ministry that the licenses were not issued to the original owners and workers of the mines in Balochistan. He said that the country is facing a loss of billions of rupees due to the policy of Interior Ministry. He claimed that Ministry of Interior issues licenses to those companies not directly linked to mining. This shows that the Ministry of Interior does not have any criteria for issuance of licensees, he said.
He said that for these reasons, thousands of workers working in the Muslimbagh are being laid off. An official of Interior Ministry told the committee that the ministry has tightened the explosive policy after introducing the National Action Plan. He said that new licenses are not being issued.
The committee also discussed the matter regarding regularizing and promoting contract employees of National Commission for Human Development (NCHD). The committee said that the ministry does not give importance to the Senate committees. The members said that a year has passed to the decision of High Court about the NCHD's employees but no action has been taken yet.
On this, the committee was told that list of 2,943 employees had been sent to the Finance Division. The committee gave two weeks to the Ministry of Finance and Establishment Division to finalize the list.
The committee also sought details from the NCHD about ghost schools. The officials told the committee that a special committee has been set up by the ministry which would start visiting the entire country. They said that special committee would identify the people having dual employers, fake degrees and others matters.
Senator Usman Kakar questioned officials about non-payment of salaries to the employees. The committee was told that neither the salaries of the protesting employees were stopped nor any new transfer or posting was made. However, the salaries of those employees were stopped who are continuously absent and violating the discipline.
The committee expressed concern that senior employees are working on junior posts and was also displeased over absence of NCHD chairperson from the meeting.
Senators Sardar Mohammad Azam Khan Musakhel, Samina Saeed, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, Mir Kabir Ahmed Mohammad Shahi, Nisar Mohammad and Khalida Parveen attended the meeting.