MITHI: A large number of unpaid workers of Underground Coal Gasification plant, who staged a demonstration outside Islamkot press club on Saturday demanding release of salaries of three months and regularisation of jobs, rejected the energy minister’s attempt to shoulder off the plant’s responsibility and pass the buck to the federal government.

The protesters’ leaders, Mohammad Ismail Boohar, engineers Abdul Manan Larik and Safdar Memon said at the gathering of plant workers that the 450 workers of UCG plant were shocked at the Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh’s statement claiming that the provincial government was merely a facilitator in the UCG project and it was initiated and funded by the federal government.

They rejected the statement and termed it a mockery of facts. The federal government had clearly stated in a letter to the energy department that its role was only of a provider of funds for the plant as per approved PC-1, they said.

They said the proof that the project’s execution had been sole responsibility of Sindh government from the day one was that the entire recruitment process was carried out by the energy department after placing advertisements in leading newspapers.

The department issued notifications for formation of test and interview committees for vetting applicants and approval of posts and issued offer letters to the successful candidates after clearance of job tests, they said.

They said the chief minister had directed secretary of energy in May 2018 to examine the case of UCG employees but the directive did not follow any action. The execution of the project was the sole responsibility of the energy department, they repeated.

Amid the crisis and uncertainty at the plant, the project management was nowhere to be seen and Rs4 billion worth assets had been left to gather rust and at the mercy of a few security guards, they said.

They deplored that they had met leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party several times to press them to resolve their issues. They did agree in principle that the employees’ issues were genuine but did nothing to release them salary and regularise their jobs, they said, adding they would continue the protest till their demands were met.

Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh said the provincial government was in contact with the federal government urging it to release Rs230 million funds for payment of salaries to the plant workers.

He insisted that the mega project was launched and funded by the then federal government and the Sindh government was to act only as a facilitator in carrying out work on site in block No5 in Thar Coalfield.

He said that he had assured the unpaid workers soon after he was inducted in the cabinet that he would request the chief minister to write again to the authorities concerned in the federal government, demanding release of funds for the payment of salary.

He said the Sindh government had written a letter to the authorities concerned in Islamabad a few weeks back drawing their attention towards non-payment of salaries to over 450 workers and their protest over non-payment of emoluments for three months.

“I had assured leaders of the protesting workers that the Sindh government will never want anybody to become jobless or face financial hardships for lack of funds,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2018