PESHAWAR, Jan 22: Despite repeated requests by the provincial government, federal ministry for petroleum and natural resources (mineral wing) has not released funds to the NWFP in violation of the President Pervez Musharraf’s directives ordering to pay Rs 50 million to provinces, special areas and AJ&K for streamlining the affairs of the mineral sector, official sources said here on Tuesday.

In line with the president’s directives, provinces were asked to merge their scattered mineral sections - functioning under various departments - and establish a separate mineral department in all the provinces to utilize the natural resources in the best possible way.

“ Although the government of the NWFP has merged the previously scattered mineral sections placing them with the newly setup of directorate-general of mines and minerals, NWFP and took several other measures according to the national mineral policy, federal ministry for petroleum and natural resources are not releasing funds to the NWFP,” official sources added.

Justifying the establishment of the directorate, senior official said that the provincial government’s move duly approved by the governor was apparently dictated by the financial constraints the province was going through.

Sources said after setting up directorate general mines and mineral, the industries secretary of the NWFP, had been appointed as the supervising authority responsible for taking care of the mineral sector in the province.

In a recently letter to the provincial government, the federal ministry for petroleum and natural resources (mineral wing) had taken the stand that after the province failed to implement the president’s directives hence the finance division, Islamabad, could not be recommended for releasing funds to the province.

According to the official documents obtained from the federal government the appointment of a non-technical person as the director-general, mines and mineral, NWFP, appeared to be the main obstacle in the way of releasing funds to the province.

Rejecting the federal government’s stand a source in the provincial cabinet said that in line with the national mineral policy the NWFP government merged mineral wing of the directorate of industries, commerce and mineral development; mineral wing of the Sarhad Development Authority and Inspectorate of Mines Labour Welfare setting a new entity of directorate-general of mines and minerals of the NWFP and placing the same under the administrative control of the provincial industries, commerce and mineral development department.