Funds for Thar coal project demanded

PML-N leader and Member National Assembly Muhammad Pervez Malik has asked government to immediately release funds for Thar Coal Project which is the most important project for the national economy. In a press statement issued here Thursday, Pervez Malik, while showing concerns over the reports that finance ministry was not releasing funds for the project, said that country was facing unprecedented energy crisis. Unlimited gas closure for the industries in Punjab and more than 12 hours electricity load shedding has crippled the industrial and economic activities. Government’s least interest in solving the issue of energy crisis has pushed the industrial sector to the wall. Unavailability of gas and electricity forced a large number of industrialists to close down their industrial sectors of shift to the other countries and millions industrial workers have become jobless. He said the project is facing serious threats if finance
ministry does not issue the funds immediately. He said despite gasification gas is being wasted. Once this work is done and the new machinery is brought in the water would enter the chambers and the gas produced would be gone completely. He said that an amount around Rs2 billion is needed immediately but finance ministry has not issued a single rupee during the current fiscal year. Pervez Malik said PPP leaders chanted the slogans of Roti, Kapra and Makan in the last national general elections but have done contrary to their chants. He said condition of the masses, national economy, trade and industry is very fragile due to non-friendly and groundless policies of the present regime. Pervez Malik said Thar Coal is a project of national importance and can not only solve the energy crisis but the extra gas and electricity can also be exported; but government is not releasing funds for this project and is wasting huge sums on non-productive visits of Asif Ali Zardari and his relatives.