Master Water Plan of Thar Coal project: ECNEC asks Sindh government to arrange funds

Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has asked Sindh government to arrange funds for Master Water Plan of Thar Coal project through Public-private partnership (PPP), well-informed sources unveiled this to Business Recorder on Monday. Sindh Minister for finance Syed Murad Ali Shah, Secretary Irrigation Khlaid Hyder Memon and Secretary Coal and Energy Aijaz Ali Khan had attended the meeting from Sindh.
ECNEC has raised the question that who will provide funds for Master Water Plan of Thar Coal project? It has been suggested that Sindh government should arrange funds for the said scheme through Public-Private Partnership, sources said. Besides, ECNEC has decided to form a committee comprising Federal Minister for Finance Abdul Hafiz Shaikh, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Nadeem-ul-Haq, Sindh Minister for Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah and others.
They said that the committee would meet very soon in Islamabad in order to resolve the issue of provision of funds for Master Water Plan of Thar coal, sources further said. The ECNEC has also asked the Sindh government representatives to submit the feasibility report of said project first then the PC-1 would be studied and decision would be made in this regard.
The PC-1 of Master Water Plan of Thar coal was on the agenda of meeting which was made by Sindh Irrigation department but Irrigation department has not made feasibility report of the said scheme. According to sources, the PC-1 mentioned that Rs 29 billion have been required for the Master water plan scheme of Thar coal.
After the ECNEC meeting, Irrigation department has assigned the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) for making the feasibility report of Master Water Plan of Thar Coal sources added. It is pertinent to mention here that according to master water plan, the water would be reached at Thar coal site through Makhi-farash (Lower Nara canal) which is about 200km away from Thar Coal site. This scribe has tried to get version of Secretary Irrigation Khalid Hyder Memon but he could not be reached despite several attempts.