195 companies have been given Coal Exploration Licenses and 90 companies have obtained Coal Mining Permits
SESSI, Labor Dept. to setup camp at Lakhra for registration of workers
Karachi: A total of 285 companies are operating in the Coal Mine Development Sector of Sindh out of which 195 companies have been given Coal Exploration Licenses while 90 companies have obtained Coal Mining Permits.
This information was shared in a meeting held on Monday Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh in the chair at the office of the Energy Department to review measures for the safety and welfare of miners working in the province.
Minister strictly directed that all coal mining companies in Sindh must register their miners with Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) and no further time should be wasted in this regard. He further directed that the leases and permits of the companies which were negligent in the registration of their workers should be cancelled and legal action should be taken against them.
He said that mining is a very tough sector and we have to help our poor miners in every possible way and ensure that the miners get all the benefits of the labor laws.
The meeting decided that Labor Department officials, Vice Commissioner SESSI, Director General Coal Mines, representatives of Coal Mines Association of Jamshoro District and Mine Owners will set up a joint camp in Lakhra before the month of Ramadan. They will register the miners and let miners know that they are entitled to the benefits of labor laws through registration.
The meetings also recommended meeting the shortage of security personnel at the coal mines and prepare a summary for new recruitment and send it to the Sindh Chief Minister.
In order to implement the directives of Minister, it was decided that Vice Commissioner SESSI, Labor officials, Deputy Director Coal Mines Hyderabad and Coal Mines Association Jamshoro District will jointly visit Lakhra Coal Mines next week to register the miners.
Secretary Energy Tariq Ali Shah, Secretary Labor Abdul Rashid Solangi, officers of SESSI, Chief Executive Officer of Sindh Lakhra Coal Mining Company Tawfiq Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company Abul Fazl Rizvi, Chief Inspector Coal Mines Qamar Din Soomro, Director General Sindh Coal Authority Zaheer Abid, Director General Coal Mines Development Mushtaq Soomro and other officers participated in the meeting. (PR)
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