Pakistan：Model quarries to get Rs 12 billion annually

ISLAMABAD: The government will complete the establishment of 10 model quarries in 18 months, which would generate about Rs12 billion annually and would also help in generating employment opportunities across the country.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Manzoor Ahmad Watto expressed these views in a press conference here on Wednesday. Giving the details of the quarries, he informed that three quarries each would be established in Balochistan, NWFP, FATA while one would be established in Northern Areas.

Since the present government came to power, Pakistan Stone Development Company (PSDEC) have shown good progress and made Khuzdar Model Quarry operational in Balochistan. Latest machinery was imported from Italy with a cost of Rs 90 million. The installation of this state-of-the-art technology would help the government to extract the marbles without any wasting. By employing manual or blasting method about 80 percent of marble is wasted, however, through the model quarry, the value of marble would be increased from Rs 1500 per tonne to Rs 7000 per tonne.

The minister said that government would also establish Marble Cities in Momand Agency in FATA, Risalpur in NWFP, Chitral, Gaddani and Loralai in Balochistan. In this regard, the minister said that the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet has approved the allocation of Rs 400 million funds to PASDEC. Commercial banks will provide this amount and the government would pay the mark-up on these amount while the principal amount would be paid back by PASDEC in seven years.

The minister for industry and production said that plots in Marble cities would be provided in installments. The Risalpur Marble City would be established on 185 acres of land and would generate 10,000 direct and 25,000 indirect stone and about 121 industrial units would be establish there.

The Momand Agency Marble City would cover an area of 361 acres and about 250 industrial units would be established there. From Loralai Marble City the government would be able to bet 100 million square feet production. The Chitral Marble City would be spread over an area of 50 acre of land and 40 industrial units would be established there. After completion, about 120 million square feel annual production would be achieved from this marble city, the minister maintained.

The marble obtained from these marble cities and quarries would be of fine quality and mainly for export purpose, which would also helped the government to earn the much needed foreign exchange earning.