SECMC Pays Rs12 Bn Royalty To Sindh Govt Since Its Inception: CM Told

Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) has deposited Rs 12 billion in royalty to the Sindh government accounts and paid Rs 8 billion to the shareholders of the company- which means the government and the displaced persons who are paid Rs100,000 annually

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Dec, 2023) Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) has deposited Rs 12 billion in royalty to the Sindh government accounts and paid Rs 8 billion to the shareholders of the company- which means the government and the displaced persons who are paid Rs100,000 annually.

This was disclosed in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar at the SECMC office, Islamkot on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Secretary Energy Rehan Baloch, Secretary Health Dr Mansoor Rizvi, Secretary Irrigation Niaz Abbasi, Chairman SECM Commissioner Yousif Siddiue.

According to an official statement issued by CM House spokesman, Justice (R) Maqbool Baqar said that he has witnessed the operation of two power plants: the 1320 MW Shinghai Power Plant at Thar Coal Block-I and 1320 MW the Sindh Engro Coal Power Plant at Thar Coal Block-II, producing and adding more than 2640 MW to the National Grid.

CEO of SECMC Yousif Siddiue briefed the chief minister that Thar Coal Block-II has reservoirs of 175 billion tons of coals. The SECM is exploiting 7.6 million tons of coal every year to produce clean and cheap electricity.

The CM was told that Thar Coal Block-II was producing 1320 MW. It was pointed out that 70 percent of the total employees of the plant and mine were local. The CEO told the CM that Thar Foundation was running 23 schools where 5000 students were receiving education, of them 33 percent were girls.

Thar Foundation has five health centers with a facility of mobile clinics that have provided medical treatment to more than 60,000 people in the area. Apart from health centers, the Thar Foundation has 17 RO plants in the Gorano area which provide drinking water to the people.

CEO Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company told the CM that the SECMC, in which the Sindh govt owns majority shares has deposited Rs 12 billion in royalty to the Sindh government accounts and paid Rs 8 billion to the shareholders of the company- the Sindh government and the displaced persons who are paid Rs100,000 annually and have been accommodated in a Model village.

The chief minister, just after the meeting, visited the Thar Block-II mine and witnessed mining activity. He met with women dumper drivers, interacted with them, and encouraged them to work shoulder-to-shoulder with men. "You have broken the myth of the society in which it was believed that women could not drive loaders and truckers, but you have proved," he said and encouraged them to bring other women of Thar to the field.

Justice Baqar went to visit a school of Thar Coal Foundation where he enjoyed the company of pre-nursery children. The CM not only heard the poems the children had remembered by heart but also played with them on the mat and enjoyed their company.

The chief minister proceeded to the New Seri Dars Model village established for the affected people of Thar Coal Block-II where he met with the villagers. The residents of the village welcomed the chief minister with folk music and presented him with their traditional khes and shawls.

The Chairman of the Thar Coal Block-Integrated Energy project, Meng Donghai, briefed the interim CM and stated that Shanghai Electric is a Chinese state-owned company.

Shanghai Electric has invested $3 billion to develop a coal mine in Thar Block-I and establish a 1320 MW power plant. The company's chairman said they were providing clean, sustainable, and affordable energy to four million households at the lowest tariff. Installing such a huge power plant has saved $500 million for Pakistan because of the usage of indigenous coal and locally produced energy.

The chief minister ascended to the gallery of the plant, which was constructed at a height of 120 feet, offering a view of the entire power generation facility. The plant featured 128-foot-tall boiler chimneys. The CM was informed that the company had invested $1.5 million in CRS.

The plant has created over 18000 direct and indirect jobs in the desert region. The Chinese firm's chairman told the chief minister that the issues of land acquisition and settlement were still pending with the government. The CM assured the chairman that he would prioritize settling their issues.