Thar Coal Mines to be Connected to Railway Network by March

Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Wednesday reviewed the progress on a project linking Thar Coal Mines with rail network jointly executed by the federal and Sindh governments.

The project will be executed under engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) mode and will be co-financed by the government of Sindh on 50 percent sharing. The estimated deadline to complete the 105-kilometre track from Thar Coal Block-II to New Chhor Railway Station is March 2023.

During the meeting, the minister directed the concerned stakeholders to expedite the work on this project. The minister directed Secretary Energy Sindh to share the details of coal production in the month of April, May and, June and submit a report by Thursday (27th October). He also directed Secretary Energy to share the exact demand for coal.

The use of Thar coal in power plants would help save $2 billion annually. It should be noted that the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Sindh had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary Planning Commission, the Secretary Energy, representatives of Pakistan Railways, the government of Sindh and other relevant stakeholders

Source: Paro Pakistani