Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the partnership of Sindh government and private sector, Engro Corp, House of Habib, Habib Bank Limited, HUBCO, and CMEC to establish 3.8 MPTA coal mine and 660 MW coal-fired power plants in Thar coal Block-II has translated into a real partnership for nation building of the country in general and Sindh in particular.
He said this while presiding over a meeting of the Sindh government and sponsors of the project at the CM House on Friday. Those who attended the meeting include Senior Minister for Finance & Energy Syed Murad Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Alamuddin Bullo, Home Secretary Mohammad Waseem, Secretary Energy Agha Wasif, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput, Secretary Irrigation Zaheer Hyder Shah, Chairman Engro Corp Hussain Dawood, President Habib Bank Nauman Dar, former ambassador Shahid Malik, Chairman SECMC Khursheed Jamali, CEO HUBCO Khalid Mansoor, and CEO Engro Khalid Subhani and Director HoH Firdous Shamim Naqvi
Senior Minister For Finance & Energy Syed Murad Ali Shah said that financial close of the project had been completed and only few formalities were to be met to launch the project.
The chief minister directed the senior minister for finance & energy to organise a befitting ceremony to celebrate the financial close of the project at Thar coal field by the end of this month. “I would invite Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, all the chief ministers, federal ministers and diplomats in the celebration,” he said and added that it was a big achievement and needed to be celebrated in true spirit.
Secretary Energy Agha Wasif and Shams Shaikh giving status of the project said that all project agreements had been executed.
Talking about infrastructure development, they said that $67 million effluent disposal scheme (EDS) for mine had been launched. For the purpose, work on a 37 kilometer long pipeline and disposal pond was in progress on which $25 million dollar had been spent so far. The project would be completed by June 2016.
Giving details of $350 million LBOD fresh water supply scheme for power plant, it was apprised that work for treatment and supply of 37 cusecs of fresh water from LBOD canal to Thar-based power plants were in progress on which $180 million had been utilised so far. It would be completed by Oct 2017.
Shams Shaikh said that widening and rehabilitation of road network from Thatta to Thar Coalfield Block-II, including construction of a new bridge on River Indus, was at the final stage. It was a $100 million project and so far $65 million have been spent, he said.
Chairman Engro Hussain Dawood appreciated the leadership of Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Senior Minister Murad Ali Shah for turning the barren Thar coal field into reality by achieving the financial close of the project. “This is a unique partnership of the government and private sector and it would also contribute in other nation building initiatives.”
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that it would be a true realisation of the dream of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. It was her who recognized Thar coal and invited foreign firms and investors to launch mega projects, he added. He further said: “Now I am quite happy that the Sindh government, SECMC and other partners have put their sweat and toil to make this project a reality by establishing a unique partnership.”
