KARACHI - The Thar Coal and Energy Board has decided to give Block-8 to Bin Daen Group Dubai and PEDCO, Korea, to exploit Thar coal deposits and establish a 1,000 MW mine mouth thermal power plant in Tharparkar district. The decision was taken at the third meeting of Thar Coal and Energy Board held under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah at Chief Minister House here on Tuesday. It was decided that MoU would be singed in Karachi soon. The Board was informed that this power plant would be the first and largest single thermal power plant in Pakistan which will provide electricity to more than 2m households and 600,000 factories and will also create job opportunities to approximately 90,000 for both skilled and unskilled workers during the entire project. Addressing the meeting Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that present government was intends to utilise coal resources of the province and various internationally well-experienced groups were approaching for coal mining and power generation project. He said that recently a high level delegation of Pakistan led by President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari had visited China where various groups had approached for many projects including Thar coal mining and some MoU were also singed. Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that with the commissioning of power plants the energy requirements of industrial, commercial and domestic consumptions would be met. He said that efforts are being made to utilise the resources for the benefit of country and common man. The meeting discussed in detail 11-point agenda which included review of draft 'letter of Intent' between Bin Daen Group, Pan Energy Developing Company (PEDCO), and Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Deloitte Anjin L.L.C to explore coal in Tharparkar district. The Board also decided that approval of proposed addition of members, if any, would be given in next meeting of Board. It was also decided to appoint legal consultants for the Board. The meeting was attended among others by Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf, Federal Secretary Water and Power Shahid Rafi, Sindh Minister for Irrigation and Power Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Minister for Revenue Jam Saif ullah Dharejo, Chief Secretary Sindh Fazal-ur-Rehman, Managing Director Thar Coal and Energy Board Aslam Sanjrani, Secretary to Chief Minister Sindh Syed Sohail Akbar Shah and Secretary Mines and Mineral Development Younis Dhaga.