Nangarhar mines generate 260m afs in a year

JALALABAD (PAN): A big amount of revenue amounting to 260 million afghanis has been generated in the past 11 months from the rich mines of the eastern Nangarhar province, an official said.

Shakurullah Tolo, provincial mines department head, told Pajhwok Afghan News the government received 40 million afghanis in 2012 while the revenue from the natural resources surged to 260 million afghanis this year.

The provincial mines department is likely to deposit from 280 t0300 million afghanis to the government exchequer by the end of this year, he hoped.

Illegal extraction and smuggling of marbles and precious luminous stones were underway, he said, adding but his department had informed the security agencies to prevent all illegal activities pertaining to the provincial mines sector.

Around 12,000 workers have been working in the provincial mines sector, he said, promising that a factory would be established in the provincial capital, Jalalabad, for the processing of 15,000 tons chromite.

The province has abundant mines of luminous and marble stones in Hisarak district and Nazyano, Shinwaro and adjacent hills of Spinghar.

He informed illegal extraction of mines continued in Mamakhail Kodikhail areas of Khogyani district.

A chromites’ mine has been discovered in Samarkhail area in the outskirts of Jalalabad city, however, a decision would yet be taken for its extraction.

Fazal Ahmad, provincial police chief told, Pajhwok Afghan News he did not have information about the location of mines nor he was aware about people involved in its illegal extraction.

nh/rm