KARACHI, Jan 13: A meeting of Thar Coal Energy Board scheduled on Tuesday with Chief Minister Syed Qaim Shah in chair has been put off without any explanation. Effort to contact relevant sources proved futile and no one in Sindh government indicated any new date for the meeting.

On agenda of Tuesday meeting was three investment proposals given for mining and setting up coal-fired electric power generation projects in Thar. The three proposals to be taken up for consideration have given by Jehangir Siddiqui, Al Tuwariqi and Engro.

In July 2008 six groups offered investment proposals with an indicated total investment of over $12 billion. Out of these, three have been selected for a further follow-up discussion and debate.

“All three sponsors of these investment proposals are now feeling uncomfortable on this inordinate delay and may decide to withdraw their offers,” a well-placed source in Sindh government had confided a week ago.

What is surprising for sponsors of the proposals is that the Sindh chief minister has not been able to find any suitable person in his mega-size cabinet to take up the job of a full-time mining and mining development minister and a full-time finance minister.

The chief minister has appointed an adviser for mining and mining development who is hardly available for any briefing and information sharing on mining. The only information that has come out for public is that Sindh has a proven 184 billion tons coal reserves from which hardly two million tons are being mined out every year.

Punjab under stewardship of Mian Shahbaz Sharif has only 265 million tons of coal reserves. Punjab government has already invited a team of investors from Hong Kong and has decided to set up four small coal-fired electric generation project each of 50 megawatts.

Under new policy, the federal government has authorised provincial governments to set up 50 megawatts electric power stations. In Sindh, the electricity department comprises a few junior level officials while the irrigation department that serves mighty feudal lords of the province is a lucrative and much sought after job.