KARACHI, Feb 23: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Wednesday urged the World Bank to revive its support for the Thar coal and energy project to help the country overcome the shortage of power and provide jobs to the unemployed. The World Bank had previously committed to providing assistance for the Thar coal and energy project, but later the commitment was withdrawn.

He said that the World Bank should support and assist the country in the coal and energy project.

It was also observed that due to the cooperation of the World Bank for the Thar coal project, other global agencies would also be encouraged to invest.

The country manager of the World Bank while appreciating priorities of the Sindh government assured it that the maximum facilities would be extended.

Regarding assistance and support for the Thar coal and energy project, he said that necessary modalities would be reviewed and issues would further be discussed in a subsequent meeting to be held on Thursday.

He said that the affected people would be assisted in the process of rehabilitation.

The chief minister said that the present government had made efforts during the past three years to provide facilities to the common man and added that because of the floods, the infrastructure of the irrigation system, educational institutions, health centres, communication network roads, etc, were badly damaged and destroyed.

He said the government was trying for the early rehabilitation of the irrigation system, agriculture and educational and health institutions.

Senior Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, Agriculture Minister Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Irrigation Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo, adviser to the chief minister on planning and development Kaiser Bengali, chief secretary Ghulam Ali Shah Pasha, provincial secretaries of the irrigation, agriculture and coal mining departments presented detailed reports on issues of energy problems, water, communication and irrigation sectors.

The World Bank delegation was informed that about 70,000 people were still in relief camps and the government was providing shelter, food, healthcare and other facilities to them.

It was said that the provincial government had encouraged public and the private partnership and work was in progress on the Mirpurkhas-Hyderabad dual carriage highway while advertisements had been published with regard to two bridges.

The World Bank team was asked to extend full cooperation and assistance to those development schemes.

They were also informed that 70 minor waterways would be rehabilitated by the Nara canal water board.

World Bank country director Pakistan Rachid Benmessaoud appreciated the efforts of the provincial government for its concerted efforts for rehabilitations of flood affected people and restructuring of the affected area.

Senior economist Hamid Mukhtar, operations analyst Ayesha Ahmed, secretary to CM Ahmed Bux Narejo, education secretary Naheed Shah Durrani, the chief economist (P&D), the managing director of the SIDA, the project director of the WSIP, the project director of the SERP and others attended the meeting.