ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (APP): The Senate Standing Committee Meeting on Petroleum on Monday directed Mine and Mineral Development Department Balochistan (MMDDB) to upgrade “C” category mine to “B” for the safety of the labour.
“In order to protect lives of labourers all ‘C’ category mine, which are the riskiest, must be upgraded to category ‘B’ or be shut down” the senate body issued these directives during a meeting held here.
The committee directed MMDDB to notify Rs 500,000 the already agreed upon amount as part of compensation package to be paid by employer immediately.
The committee was presided over by Senator Mohsin Aziz.
The committee was informed that the future of LCDC and its employees was deliberated upon by the Board of Directors of the Company.
The body was directed LCCDC to share audited figures of outstanding liabilities with the government of Sindh within three days after which the committee would reconvene within next 15 days to take a final decision on the matter.
While being briefed on the current situation of pending issue between federal and Sindh governments for laying 17 Km gas pipeline of imported gas; the committee was informed that that Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) had laid the subject pipeline in all respect including modification of CTS Bin Qasim and SMS Pakland, Pipeline was commissioned on December, 22 2020.
The committee was informed that following the directives issued by the Prime Minister against fuel smuggling and illegal fuel distribution in the country; National Taskforce had been constituted with the Chief Minister and home secretary as conveners.
The committee was further informed that smuggled Iranian diesel fulfilled 19.5 per cent of total demand.
The body was also informed that a strategy had been developed by FBR, where in first stage; illegal retail outlets that were prime beneficiaries of the smuggled fuel in the three provinces of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be sealed.
As per devised strategy, in the second phase the situation in Balochistan would be addressed.
The committee asked the government to provide alternate source of livelihood to those who are affected by this measure in Balochistan.
The meeting was attended by Senators Mir Kabir Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, Nauman Wazir Khattak, Lt. General (R) Salahuddin Tirmizi, Mir Muhammad Yousuf Badini and Shamim Afridi along-with the Minster for Petroleum, and senior officers from the Petroleum Division, Department of Energy Government of Sindh, Labour and manpower department, government of Balochistan along with all concerned.
