KARACHI, Dec 10: Provincial Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Irfanullah Khan Marwat has that talks are being held with five foreign companies regarding use of coal reserves in Sindh.

The minister, while presiding over a meeting of the Energy Planning and Infrastructure Development Committee of Energy Wing of Federal Planning and Development Ministry here on Friday, said the government was holding talks with these firms regarding mechanized mining and utilization of vast coal reserves in the province.

Presently, he said, the country was importing some 1.7 million tons of coal to meet the local demand and added that when these foreign coal mining companies go fully operative in Sindh there would be no need to import coal. These firms would mine and supply the coal and also use it to produce natural gas.

Mr Marwat said presently 1.3 billion tons coal reserves were estimated in the Lakhra coal field alone and billions of tons in the North Lakhra coal field, Badin and Tando Muhammad Khan, while various studies were in progress to utilize these vast reserves of coal.

He informed the meeting that for the first time the Lakhra Coal Development Company earned a profit of Rs6.5 million which would be used for setting up a coal washing plant.

The minister said the land in the vicinity of Thar coal field was the property of Thar Coal Power Plant and the provincial government had banned the land transfer in this area.

He said people residing on this land would be given alternative plots. Mr Marwat said in Sonda area near Jhirak in Thatta District, some 7.1 billion tons coal reserves were present and foreign companies were establishing coal fired power plants there. -APP