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Earthquake rehabilitation work: Petroleum ministry may divert Rs 10b

By Imran Ayub

KARACHI: The petroleum ministry is likely to divert Rs 10 billion allocated to it by the federal government for several projects to rehabilitation of the quake-affected people.

Higher officials in the ministry are discussing a proposal to withdraw from annual funding from the government in a bid to extend help for the October 8 quake affecteees.

“Soon a final summary in this regard would be moved to the Prime Minister Secretariat,” said a source privy to the discussion. “The ministry believes that it’s a time to withdraw from annual funding from the federal government, which is in need of donations for the relief and rehabilitation of the quake-affected people.”

He said the government every year allocated a certain amount for development projects across the country carried out by the petroleum ministry, which made an amount of around Rs 11 billion.

“It doesn’t mean that the ministry would not continue these projects,” said the source. “The ministry would try to generate those funds from other sources and may take more time to complete each project.”

The ministry of petroleum for the 2005-06 marked two major projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which attracted Rs 28 million funding from the federal government.

The government allocated Rs 18 million to set up CNG station in Peshawar during 2005-06 and also it planned to replace and enhance HDIP'S analytical facilities during the current fiscal, which required Rs 10 million.

The source said major funding was allocated for the infrastructure development, which required millions of rupee and few of those projects had yet to take off.

“During current fiscal the ministry also plans to open electric power facility in tribal areas of Balochistan, which required Rs 100 billion and the project may face some delay due to transfer for funding,” he added.

He said the projects, which were planned under directorate general mineral of the ministry, would be more affected after giving up such funding.

The government has allocated Rs 217.346 million for nine projects under the directorate general mineral of the ministry for 2005-06, which included study for indigenous coal gasification plant at Thar and feasibility study for the setting up of coal gasification plant at Bhakkar.

The government also budgeted Rs 459.676 million for the geological survey of the country carried out by the ministry of petroleum and natural resources.

“Under geological survey the ministry was assigned to evaluate and explore Hangu and Karak coal deposits in the NWFP,” said the source citing annual planning and development programme.

“The ministry also planned to accelerate mineral exploration programme under the geological survey of Pakistan to identify new economic mineral deposits of the country.”

He said the quake-hit Azad Kashmir had also been marked as a potential area for the exploration of coal and other minerals and the government had allocated Rs 7.2 million for such activity in Kotli during 2005-06.

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