HYDERABAD, March 13: The convenor, Tharparkar Coal Action Committee (TCAC), Nand Lal Malhi, has rejected the proposal of the federal minister for petroleum and natural resources that the Sindh Coal Authority (SCA) should be abolished and the coal of Tharparkar should be placed under the control of the Federal Coal Authority (FCA).

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, he said that under the constitution the natural and mineral resources were the exclusive property of the provinces and added that the coal deposits of Sindh were the property of Sindh province and no one had the right to take them over.

Mr Malhi recalled that when the coal deposits were discovered in Thar, the federal government, instead of handing over its control to the SCA, had appointed the Thar Coal Board under the federal control. He, however, claimed that the TCAC had resisted the move and had foiled the conspiracy of the federal government.

He said that Punjab and the federation had always been looting the resources of Sindh and added that on the one hand dacoities were being committed on the waters of river Indus and on the other the coal deposits of Sindh were being taken over by the federation.

He said that the SCA had performed no role as it had been rendered ineffective due to the frequent interference of the federation and added that it was just a lame excuse to usurp the coal deposits of Sindh.

Mr Malhi said the federation had no moral, legal or constitutional ground to abolish the SCA and demanded that the SCA should be strengthened.

He said a meeting of the action committee would be held at Mithi on March 15 to discuss the latest situation and to chalk out future strategy.