Peshawar’s Warsak Road marble factories to be shifted to Mohmand

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to shift all the marble factories from the Warsak Road in Peshawar and Shabqadar to the newly established Mohmand Economic Zone.

This was decided in a meeting held here on Wednesday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair to review the progress on Mohmand Economic Zone and Buner Marble City, said an official handout.

Special Assistants to Chief Minister Arif Ahmadzai, Riaz Khan, Secretary, Mineral department, Chief Executive Officer, KP Economic Zone Development & Management Company, Javed Khattak, and other relevant senior officials attended the meeting. It was also decided that in addition to grant in aid, plots would be given on concessional rates to the marble factory owners who voluntarily shift factories to the Mohmand Economic Zone.

The decision was made to overcome the issue of environmental pollution in the provincial capital and to facilitate these scattered marble factories by providing them a conducive environment to operate in an organized manner. The government decided to start physical work on the proposed Buner Marble City Project with the aim to promote marble industry and to provide job opportunities to the people.

The chief minister has directed the officials to devise a way forward in consultation with the marble factory owners for shifting the marble factories from Warsak Road to Mohmand Economic Zone. He added that a complete the action plan should be submitted to him within the two weeks. While briefing about the Mohmand Economic Zone, the participants were informed that 106 plots had been allotted so far in the 350 acres Mohmand Economic Zone Project.

The marble factories from Warsak Road and Shabqadar would be shifted and accommodated in the left over 184 plots in the Mohmand Economic Zone. It was apprised that applications from 19 factory owners of factories on the Warsak Road had been received for the shifting the units to Mohmand Economic Zone. The participants decided to convert Mohmand Economic Zone into Special Economic Zone.

Of the proposed project of Buner Marble City, the meeting was informed that 200 industrial units and investment of Rs. 2.8 billion were expected under the 126 acres Buner Marble City Project. More than 12,000 employment opportunities were expected through this project, the meeting was informed.

While agreeing to the proposed site for Buner Marble City, the chief minister directed the officials that PC-1 for acquisition of the land should be got approved from the relevant forum within a week.