Sindh cabinet approves railway line project for coal transportation
The Sindh cabinet on Wednesday approved a project for the laying of 105km railway line between Thar coalfields and Chhor and another track between Bin Qasim town and Port Qasim to transport coal to upcountry for use in power plants and cement factories.
Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh told the cabinet that laying of the two railway lines was most important plan, and argued coal deposits in Thar were huge but due to the absence of required logistic facilities, particularly the railway lines, the consignments could not be transported easily in big quantities.
Mr Shaikh said that a number of meetings had been held with the federal government in the past and finally a proposal was submitted under which the Sindh government would have to extend 50pc loan of the total project cost [to the railways] for its execution.
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who presided over the cabinet meeting, said that the railways authorities would have to pay profit to the provincial government.