PESHAWAR: Special Assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Minerals Arif Ahmadzai has directed legal action against the contractor and owner of Kandoli Darra coal mine at Darra Adamkhel for violation of ban and illegal mining.
In an official statement issued here on Sunday, the special assistant has also expressed sorrow over the trapping of three miners in the mine. He said that the Inspector Mines had declared Kandoli Darra Coal Mine unsuitable for all kinds of mining activities and also issued a formal dispatch on December 12, 2021.
He further said that the Inspectorate of Mines under mechanised procedure had declared the concerned mine dangerous for any kind of activity as it is full of poisonous gas. But, the contractor and owner of the mine continued mining activity in violation of a ban that had rendered three coal miners trapped in the mine.
Talking about the rescue operation conducted by the Minerals Department, the Special Assistant said that they are carrying out their operation in a highly professional manner for safe recovery of the trapped miners.
He said that as directives of the Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, those involved in illegal mining would be dealt with iron hand as in this connection they are following zero-tolerance policy.