Coal mining resumes after 10 years in Bamyan

BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): Coal mining in Kohmard district of central Bamyan province has resumed after a decade, providing job opportunities to hundreds of people.

Deputy Governor Maulvi Ansa Azizi told Pajhwok Afghan News on the occasion: “This mine was previously extracted by locals and sold to a private company, but now with its resumption many people will be provided with employment.”

He said the contracting company must pay 2,500 afghanis to the government against each coal briquette.

He said the coal mine in Kohmard district was supposed to be handed over to MCC China Company and the company would use the coal to generate electricity and extract copper from Mis Aynak mine in Logar, but the Chinese company refused to do so.

According to the source, efforts are underway to resume and extract other mines that were stopped for various reasons in the past.

In 2012, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of the previous government stopped the extracting process of the coal mines in Kohmard district and Chinese company MCC was supposed to extract these mines.

However, in recent years, local powerful people had been extracting these mines illegally.

sa/ma

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