Pakistan - Miners from Darra demand benefits, facilities

A day after the governor approved the first ever mineral policy for Fata, miners from Darra Adam Khel demanded the extension of Employees Old Age Benefit Act (EOBA) and Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance (WWFO) to the region.

While addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, the general secretary of Pakistan Mine Workers Federation Darra chapter, Sar Zameen Afghani, said a large of number of people are employed in Fata’s mining sector but remain deprived of employee benefits and facilities in the absence of EOBA and WWFO.

“The government has failed to take any steps to improve working conditions for miners and prevent their deaths in mining accidents,” said Afghani.

According to Afghani, the number of related deaths has increased because of a lack of implementation of relevant laws. “More than 833 mine workers have lost their lives in the past decade in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Fata,” he said.

Afghani urged the government to conduct special on-job safety trainings for miners to prevent any more tragic deaths. He also asked the government to facilitate miners from tribal areas through the Workers Welfare Board (WWB) and demanded Rs500,000 as compensation for families of deceased workers.

The general secretary expressed concerns over the ineffective implementation of the Mines Act 1923 in the tribal areas and urged relevant authorities to mitigate the sufferings of people working in Fata’s mining sector.

Afghani also demanded the establishment of regional rescue stations in Darra Adam Khel and Orakzai and Mohmand agencies. “The government should provide ambulances to all mining blocks in Fata,” he said.

The federation also sought representation for Fata’s mine workers in the WWB K-P chapter, saying tribal workers are deprived of incentives because they do not have representation on the board.

The Pakistan Mine Workers Federation’s chief organiser for K-P and Fata, Fazal Rabi, and scores of workers were present on the occasion.

Policy approved

Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan approved the first-ever mineral policy for Fata on Sunday.

According to a handout, Governor Mehtab said mineral deposits in Fata will be exploited by effective implementation of this policy and tribal disputes will also be resolved.

Under the policy, the process of leasing mineral deposits to investors will be made more transparent and applications for lease will be disposed of within a specific timeframe.

Moreover, a fund will be established to compensate miners and their families in case of death or injury.