Engineering Post Report
The total area of Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa province is 74521 square kilometers of out of which as much as 70 per cent consist of mountains and rocks. The formation of these rocks contain huge prospects of different metallic/non-metallic minerals and various precious/semi-precious gemstones minerals. It has large number of mineral resources which have not yet been exploited at all to its full potential.
Minerals Development Department Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa has two divisions namely Licensing Division and Exploration Promotion Division. Based on the exploration done so far, excellent prospects of other valuable deposits still exist in the province.
Major Initiatives
Establishment of Mining Cadastral System is an Asian Development Bank (ADP) which is nearing completion around this time. Mining Cadastral System is state of the art web-based GIS enabled system which will enhance transparency in awarding of mineral titles, promote ease of doing business and facilitate investors in searching free mineral bearing areas. Upon deployment of this system the whole business of the department will be digitalized.
Minerals Department is engaged with IBL-HRD (Belgium) for establishment of state of the art Gemstone Laboratory, training and Certification Centre at Mineral Resting Laboratory Peshawar. The centre will help in branding the local gemstones and will also promote export of precious stones on high prices.
Appellate authority of the Minerals Department has restored hundreds of cancelled mineral titles which has very positive impact on enhancement of minerals production, revenue generation and jobs creation in the province.
