Hyderabad: A group of elected members of Sindh Assembly, politician, civil society representatives, senior journalists, and corporate executives Saturday paid a visit to Thar Coal Block II to witness mining, power plant, and community development projects. During their visit, lawmakers and others said that coal mining, power and community projects in Thar would ensure economic uplift and poverty alleviation from the province. Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), a joint venture between Government of Sindh and Engro Power-gen Ltd, is all set to exploit huge Thar coal reserves and start generating power to supply to the national grid from early next year. Briefing the visiting group, Shamsuddin Shaikh, CEO, SECMC, said that they are just 20 meters away from the first coal steam to supply coal to 660MWs of mine mouth power plant. He said 70 percent work on both the mining and power projects have been completed ahead of schedule and first electron from Thar Coal Block II will start generating power by end of this year. “The power supply from Thar Coal block II will be the cheapest electricity in Pakistan,” he said. Briefing the delegation about community development projects being undertaken by Thar Foundation, he said that the different schemes in education, health, safe drinking water, women empowerment, skill development, have been initiated with the total cost of Rs. 4.5 billion. Engro Power-gen Limited, CEO, Ahsan Zafar Syed briefed the delegation about features of the 660MWs power plant and said that imported technology was being used to protect the local environment. He said that the power plant project is being executed six months’ ahead of the schedule. Senator Taj Haider of PPP said that we are now very close to achieve a success, foundation of which was laid by Shaheed Muhatarma Benazir Bhutto. He said, Thar coal project will bring paradigm shift in the economy of Sindh, all benefits of which should first go to the people of Thar. Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) head, Mustafa Kamal said, Thar Coal project being executed jointly by Engro and government of Sindh is a model project which is bringing positive change to the life of Tharis. “Another positive change we witnessed here was that the corporate sector has giving peoples priority over profit, which is seen rare,” he added. MPA from Pakistan Muslim League (Functional), Nusrat Sehar Abbasi said that the Thar Coal project is among very few success stories of Government of Sindh, but at the same time she said, government needs to put more efforts to exploit Thar Coal reserves in rest of the Blocks for the prosperity of Thar, Sindh and whole Pakistan. Sindh Assembly Member from MQM Pakistan, Heer Soho said that social uplift schemes initiated by Thar Foundation will improve the human development in the area. She said, Thar Coal will not only meet country’s energy needs but a mammoth economic activity has been generated in the area, which will surely bring positive impact in the life of the commoners. MPAs Naheed Begum, Naila Munir, Naheed Shaukat Mirza, President Karachi Arts Council, Ahmed Shah, senior journalists, Wusatullah Khan, Dr Ayub Shaikh, Muqtada Ahmed Khan, Dr Qasim Rajper, Shaheen Salahuddin, Jawed Kazi, Hamsafar Gadehi, Secretary BISP, Saleem Ranjha and others were also included in the delegation. The delegation also visited mining project, 660MWs power plant, Biosaline agriculture initiatives, Green Thar program, resettlement village, health facilities, schools, and skill development centers. Published in Daily Times, February 4th 2018.