Thar coal project jobs

Confusion surrounds the claims made by the Tharparkar district council chairman that Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) has only provided a portion of the jobs promised earlier to local residents. Since they have been rejected by a SECMC spokesperson as political foul play, a discreet examination needs to be carried out. They both appear to carry valid perspectives and certain nuances have to be recognised. Ultimately, however, political pressure is never an acceptable method for securing one’s way even though ‘backdoor entries’ are very much a systemic part of the culture in the country.

The Thar coal project was established keeping local Tharis in mind as a means to provide job opportunities for them. Thar, of course, has been the site of major hardship in recent years as it endured massive floods and famine. It was neglected for years by the government itself and the people were left to survive on their own with meagre resources. In this regard, the councilman is justified in advocating for more job appointments for local labour so they may better support their families. Conversely, however, meritocracy is the fastest way a country achieves advancement by developing sturdy infrastructure using the best minds it has. Succumbing to political pressure could result in a dissatisfactory end result.

At this point, distrust has been created between the two entities, SECMC and the Thar council. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has a responsibility to achieve effective conflict-resolution to return focus to the sound completion of the project. The element of political pressure should be eliminated but a humanistic approach can be taken to support the people of Thar. Where unskilled labour can be utilised, local persons should be hired. As for skilled labour, the training programme offered by SECMC would prove beneficial to locals but merit-based appointments should also be considered where necessary to develop a high-quality project.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2018.

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