LAHORE: As the episode of transfer of mines and minerals secretary is still resonating with the surfacing of alleged business interests of the minister and an MPA, minister Sher Ali Gorchani has levelled counter allegations against the former secretary, criticising him for implementing ‘rigid’ policies and failing to meet his own targets.

Mr Gorchani told Dawn that former secretary Babar Aman Babar had self-imposed a target of Rs24 billion revenue over and above the finance department’s Rs19bn figure but could collect only Rs14bn during the 2023-24 financial year.

For the current fiscal, the minister said, Mr Babar had fixed a target of Rs41bn revenue but could collect only Rs2.947bn in the first quarter.

The minister alleged that the former secretary did not do anything practical for the placer gold auctions and continued peddling ‘false’ narratives. He stated the ex-secretary also had not done anything practical for the Chiniot Iron Ore project being CEO of the Punjab Mineral Company (PMC) and instead relied on writing letters.

Minister Sher Ali Gorchani levels counter allegations against the officer

Mr Gorchani alleged that the former secretary had sidelined all technical officers including ex-DG Mines Rana Shakoor and ex-Director Mines Ijaz Joyia, whom he had himself recommended to bring them in the department. He alleged that the former secretary made them ‘scapegoat’ and evaded accountability of his failure.

The minister said not a single mining lease was renewed in the former secretary’s tenure, which had halted all businessmen from investing in the sector. He said the secretary had changed rule 187 of Punjab Mining Concession Rules 2002, related to mode of grant, without consulting relevant stakeholders and brought all minerals in auction mode, without considering technicalities, resulting in chaos and the former DG had indicated that the secretary’s decision had caused a loss of Rs1bn in the last financial year to the public exchequer.

Referring to the decline in revenue, the minister said the major reason was the secretary’s non-business friendly policies as well as offering no investment security to the investors. “Several stakeholders had explained in meetings that the businessmen were quitting mining business and were shifting to other sectors owing to rigid policies in the department,” Mr Gorchani claimed.

“Since I pointed out former secretary’s incompetence, Babar started propaganda and linked the orders of his brother Sher Zaman vs GOP with me, though the lease was allotted in 2021 much before I had taken oath as the mines and minerals minister,” Mr Gorchani asserted and added that the BLA had stopped the working of bona fide lessee and department failed to provide security to leaseholder. He claimed the orders were in accordance with the Punjab Mining Concession Rules 2002.

Referring to another order, the minister said he had never interfered in the departmental affairs which could be verified from departmental officers as well as district administration. He said the former secretary was facing consequences of his conduct in Punjab Assembly and before the Privilege Committee, where he was declared mentally ill.

When contacted, ex-secretary Babar Aman Babar rebuffed the allegations and stated that he took 40 initiatives including geological survey that identified Rs700bn Placer Gold deposits in Attock, gave Rock Salt Policy to realise $13bn export potential and online database and monitoring etc. He said his ACRs written by respective chief secretaries since 2015 were outstanding.

Acknowledging that he had set a Rs24bn target for himself, the former secretary said that he could have achieved even Rs30bn or more if his judicial orders issued for recovery (detail available) had been complied by the officers concerned. On their failure, action was taken against them.

He claimed that stopping theft of placer gold was his biggest contribution. “I got resource estimation done through GSP, got reserve price calculated, got EIA done, prepared terms & conditions and rules and the case was almost ripe to be submitted to the Punjab cabinet for approvals and conduct of open international competition in January,” Mr Babar stated.

He said the PMC was established in 2009 and he was made its CEO for three months and that too without his assent and he did not take a penny from the company. “I did not agree with PMC because they spent Rs8bn and still there were doubts about feasibility of its project,” he alleged.

Mr Babar said he had started open competition instead of doling out leases on mere applications. As per written reports available about award and renewal of several licences and leases, he said he transferred the responsible DG over the matter of pendencies.

He, however, opted not to comment on his orders issued against the family of the mines minister.

BAN ON MINERALS EXCAVATION: Meanwhile, the Punjab home department on the recommendation of former mines secretary Babar Aman Babar re-imposed Section 144 in the area of River Indus banning movement of excavators or other equipment for illegal excavation of placer gold as well as any activity for excavation of any mineral for three months. The government is imposing a ban on excavation of placer gold and other minerals as it wants to award formal contracts through open auction process and prevent loss to the exchequer.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2024