Caretaker government neglects multi-million dollar energy project
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Karachi: Former Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh has criticized the caretaker government for allegedly neglecting the Thar coal project, as reported by ARY News on Monday.
Imtiaz Shaikh expressed his concerns to the media, stating that Thar coal is crucial for Pakistan's energy needs and that the caretaker government is showing disregard for it. He further noted that companies involved in the project, including Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and Chinese firms, have raised concerns about delays in various key aspects.
Shaikh criticized the delay in the construction of the 105-km coal field-Chhor railway line, despite the fact that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government had completed the planning and allocated 50% of the funds for the project.
He emphasized that the timely completion of the project would result in significant savings for the country, amounting to millions of dollars.
Earlier this month, the PPP called upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to release funds for development schemes. Senator Taj Haider, a senior PPP leader, wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and requested the reversal of the decision to freeze fund disbursements for development schemes before the elections.
The PPP criticized the freezing of funds for development schemes designed to provide relief and welfare to the public. Senator Taj Haider argued that the caretaker government could not halt development schemes under the Election Act, and he found it unusual for the ECP to stop fund disbursements instead of the caretaker government. Senator Haider considered the ECP's action unconstitutional, pointing out that despite the government constructing 50,000 houses for flood-affected families in the past three months, the owners were not being allowed to enter their homes.
He also highlighted challenges, such as mass protests against inflated electricity bills and the closure of business centers due to misguided policies. Senator Haider mentioned that a development scheme aimed to install solar panels in 2.1 million houses for flood victims in Sindh, but the project had stalled due to frozen funds. Senator Haider appealed to the election commission to reconsider its decision on humanitarian grounds.
