PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to award licences through bidding for exploration of natural resources.

The winning bidders would be awarded licences for 30 years at a proposed fee of $100,000 per licence and they would be responsible for all expenditures and risks, said a handout.The decision was taken in a meeting presided over by Chief Minster Pervez Khattak here on Monday. The meeting discussed matters regarding prevention of illegal mining as well as exploration and development of minerals resources. The chief minister said that the province had the largest mineral resources of the world.

He alleged that the previous government distributed the contracts of those precious minerals among their blue-eyed people. He said that the available metals and minerals would be utilised in the best interest of people according to international standard.

The meeting discussed matters pertaining to mining and developing mineral resources. The meeting was told that prospective mineral blocks identified on the basis of reliable past exploration, carried out with the assistance of Australia in Chitral were open for bidding.

Mr Khattak was told that according to his directives a draft Mining and Mineral Development Bill was being prepared, which would be reviewed by an international consultant and would be presented for legislation by the end of next month.

Similarly, all leases, contracts and auctions of mining would be advertised at world pattern in large-scale and in shape of blocks. Besides the departments concerned, experts and administration, the tendering will be carried out in the presence of media to ensure transparency.

The chief minister was told that big hurdles in mineral development were illegal mining, non-registration of FIR by police, use of influence and getting consecutive stay orders from courts.

The chief minister directed police to register FIR on complaints of illegal mining and said that those creating hurdles in that connection should also be arrested forthwith and sent to lock-up.