Marble industry suffered Rs240m loss last month due to security situation

[Naveed Yaseen]

PESHAWAR: The marble industry suffered a loss of Rs240 million last month due to the recent wave of militancy in the restive district of Buner. Workers attached to the industry were finding it difficult to make ends meet under the present circumstances.

This was disclosed by Frontier Mines Association President, Abdullah, while addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday. He said most of the people of Buner were relying on the marble business, with a total of 300 mines and as many shops in the district. He informed about 350 marble and chromites factories situated in the district, with Buner producing 90 per cent of the marble in the province.

Giving details of the product, he said that the district was producing 1.5 million tons of marble with more than 5,000 labourers working in the industry. He said that the mines machinery were either out of order or were stolen, rendering thousands of people jobless.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=181094