October 08, 2008	Wednesday	Shawwal 08, 1429

KARACHI, Oct 7: Construction of an airstrip at Islamkot in Thar which had been in the doldrums for more than three and a half years is likely to be kicked off now when Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has finally approved a summary pertaining to the restoration of its original site.

The project had been approved in March 2005 and was to be executed soon afterwards. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had already selected the project site and the ministry of defence had also issued a no-objection certificate to give the project a go-ahead. However, it could not take off and had to be put on the backburner when its site was changed, reportedly on political grounds.

When the new government took over and the PPP-led set-ups settled at the federal and provincial levels, the matter was taken up with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and accordingly a summary was forwarded to him for approval by the department concerned for the restoration of the project’s original place.

Official sources maintained that the approval accorded to the project was in line with the PPP-led coalition’s policy of extending maximum possible facilities to investors in developing Thar coal reserves on a fast track and evolving a workable business strategy to ensure the province’s economic benefits.

It was in the year 2003, that the Sindh government had asked the Civil Aviation Authority for assistance in the identification and selection of a suitable site for the proposed airstrip. A field survey was conducted by the CAA, Sindh Coal Authority and the local administration accordingly. Finally, a strip of land falling around Sive-Jo-Tar and Bhope-Jo-Tar villages, near Islamkot town, was selected. The 5- Corps issued NOC for the project.

However, while the PC-1 of the project was being prepared by the relevant consultant firm, former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim issued directive to the Sindh Coal Authority asking it to relocate the airstrip. He proposed a new site situated near Namisar village, some 27 kilometres from Mithi.

A fresh survey had to be conducted by a joint team of the stakeholders in association with the CAA. The ministry of defence was then requested to issue of the NOC for the new site but it was not issued till March this year.

With the departure of Dr Rahim from the office of the chief minister, the stakeholders sought restoration of the original site of the airstrip.

Now the Sindh government has approached the federal government for funding in the project to enable the CAA to execute the project.

In the meantime, construction work of the Thar Lodge at Islamkot, close to the coal exploration sites, has been accelerated. The facility is aimed at providing boarding and lodging of the foreign investors associated with or interested in the Thar coal project. The lodge is likely to be operational within the current financial year.