CM orders one-window service to help power crush plants

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the senior officials to start one-window service for issuing licences and No-Objection Certificates (NOC) to facilitate those who intend to install power crush plants and carry out riverbed mining in a legal way.

He was chairing a meeting of the Minerals and Mineral Development Department here, said an official handout.

Besides KP cabinet members Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Akbar Ayub, Sultan Khan, Arif Ahmadzai and Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz, the meeting was attended by administrative secretaries and others.

The chief minister directed the officials to ensure the issuance of such licences and NOCs to the applicants in a week so that legal riverbed mining and power crushing in the province could be encouraged and illegal activities discouraged.

He directed the officials concerned to work out an effective mechanism to ensure the implementation of safe distance as prescribed in the relevant rules for sand and gravel extraction from riverbeds and mining near urban and rural populations.

This would minimize the human and material losses in face of floods and other natural calamities, added Mahmood Khan.

Earlier, the participants of the meeting discussed in details various matters related to regulate and streamline power crush plants, riverbed mining and mining in urban and rural set-ups with a special focus on the effective implementation of rules framed to this end.

Various aspects of the proposed Riverbed Mining Rules 2021 were discussed and it was informed that the proposed rules were aimed at protection of rivers, its courses and smooth water flow, protection of infrastructure on riverbeds, conservational mining of sands, gravels and stones to meet construction industry requirements and promote safe mining in river beds.

A committee comprising relevant senior officials was constituted to come up with recommendations for the approval from the KP cabinet to ensure effective implementation of laws and streamlining issues related to power crusher plants and riverbed mining in the province.