KARACHI, Nov 2: The World Bank has agreed to provide technical assistance worth $ 26 million for the Sindh Coal and Power Project and its details will be finalised with its team currently on a visit to Pakistan.

Sindh Secretary for Mines and Mineral Development Mohammad Younis Dhaga stated this while briefing the Thar Coal and Energy Board on the technical assistance covering the bank’s strategic context for coal, basis of design, objectives, description and timelines (schedule) for major activities of the project between November 2008 and December 2009.

Being the board’s chairman, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah presided over the meeting that discussed matters related to Thar coal power plant schemes. It was decided that the second “investors roundtable conference” would be arranged in Hong Kong or Dubai in near future.

The first roundtable conference was held in the Washington office of the World Bank on July 30, 2008. At that time, 36 investors/ companies had shown interest in mining Thar coal, which will be a public-private joint venture.

Addressing the board’s meeting, the chief minister asked the officials concerned to accelerate the pace of work so that power generation problem could be solved at the earliest. To review the progress on a regular basis, the board decided to hold it’s meeting every month.

The meeting appreciated the interest shown by the World Bank in the development of Thar coal resources and expressed the hope that technical assistance being provided by the World Bank would pave the way for large scale investment in Thar coal field.

Reviewing the proposals received from some reputed private firms, the meeting decided to complete evaluation work soon so that work on the joint venture could be expedited.

The board approved the project’s outline and appreciated the interest shown by the World Bank in the development of Thar coal resources, expressing the hope that the technical assistance would pave the way for large scale investment in Thar coal field.

Revenue Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Irrigation and Power Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Adviser to Chief Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Khatoomal Jeevan, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, Federal Secretary Water and Power Mohammad Ismail Qureshi, Managing Director Thar Coal & Power Plant Mohammad Aslam Sanjrani, Chief Minister’s Secretary Sohail Akbar Shah and others attended the meeting.