The discipline inspection authority in northern China's Shanxi Province said 1,126 officials have withdrawn their investments worth 170 million yuan (US$21 million) in coal mines, Xinhua news agency said today.

The authority said more than 1,000 officials in the province, who had admitted to investing in coal mines, have all withdrawn their money so far. Of them, 140 investors also turned in their 1.15 million yuan worth of earnings.

Shanxi, a major coal production province in China, is carrying out a campaign to clamp down on government officials' involvements in coal mines as part of efforts to improve the accident-stricken coal mining sector.

Involved officials should declare their investments in coal mines voluntarily, according to the province requirement. This year, 175 more officials declared they had invested more than 15 million yuan in coal mines.

If officials transfer their shares of coal mines privately to others, quit the business in private or continue to hold shares, they will be dismissed.

This year, seven officials in the province received punishment from the Party, and 13 received administrative punishment, the authority said.

Last month, a coal mine in Zuoyun County, Shanxi Province, was flooded. Fifty-six miners are still trapped inside. Illegal mining and poor management were believed to be the reason for the mishap.

(Shanghai Daily June 6, 2006)