Sindh Chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that Rs 400 million will be spent on development of infrastructure for the proposed 'marble city' near Thatta.
He was talking to Federal Minister for Industries and Production Jehangir Tareen at a meeting held at Chief Minister House to discuss primary healthcare, 'marble city', 'granite city', supply of potable water and lining of water-courses in the province.
The chief minister said that Sindh has huge deposits of mineral wealth. Deposits in Bhat Jabal, Thatta, Jung Shahi and Nagar Parkar are some of the sites where deposits are available for commercial exploitation.
He said that the proposed 'marble city' would encourage the marble industry, warehousing facilities, installation of water recycling units, solid waste utilisation plants and machinery manufacturing units. He said that people setting up units in the proposed 'marble city' would be given interest-free loans.
He said that limestone production in Sindh is about one metric tonne per day, whereas the production of granite is almost suspended. "The proposed marble city, when given final shape, would push up limestone production within three years and it would go up to 1.8 metric tonnes per day and granite 292 metric tons."
The chief minister said that lining of watercourses would conserve water and the water so saved would be utilised by water-deficient sites. This would bring more land under cultivation. Concerned provincial and federal secretaries attended the meeting.