Treasure hunt: People sift through a mixture of sand and pebbles for gold near the village of Soykechar in Uzbekistan on March 6.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Sifting through a greyish mixture of sand and pebbles in the steppe near the southwestern village of Soykechar in Uzbekistan, Khislat Ochilov was searching for gold.

He is one of hundreds of new prospectors trying to strike it rich in a modern-day gold rush in the Central Asian country, chock-full of the precious metal.

A right once preserved for state mining firms, recent regulatory changes designed to boost the economy mean anyone can now hunt for gold.

Mr. Ochilov scanned the shiny flakes that appeared on his panning mat, submerged in a pool of water. Finally, he spotted a piece the size of a grain of rice.

Nearby, Sardor Mardiyev, 28, was hard at work digging through the earth in the vast Navoi region, a district larger than Portugal. He drives his excavator 12 hours a day, six days a week as part of a frenzy for the metal that officials hope will boost Uzbekistan’s output.

‘Global suppliers’

Last year, the country produced 110.8 tonne of gold, putting it in tenth place globally, and its central bank was the second largest net seller in the world at around 25 tonne, behind only Kazakhstan, according to the World Gold Council.

For Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev — who sees himself as a reformer opening up and liberalising his country’s economy after years of isolation and centralisation — it is not enough. He has ordered gold production to be increased by 50% by 2030.

The potential is there — only 20% of Uzbekistan’s subsoil has been explored to date.

Mr. Mirziyoyev, in power since 2016, has also called for gold bars weighing up to one kilogram to be sold in the hopes of drawing more tourists to his landlocked Central Asian nation.

Zahit Khudaberdiyev, in his 30s, is among hundreds of entrepreneurs who have decided to try their luck since the regulation change. To join the gold rush he acquired the rights to a plot of land for three years at auction.

“Before 2019, we didn’t have the right to mine gold. Some did it anyway at the risk of death — it was dangerous,” Mr. Khudaberdiyev said. His competition includes Kazakh and Chinese prospectors who secured neighbouring plots.

Behind Mr. Khudaberdiyev, trucks and diggers bustle with activity. He said they churn up tonnes of rubble and can help scourers unearth “a daily average of 12 to 15 grams.”

‘Frustrated’ farmers

In Soykechar, where farming remains a vital sector, not everyone is thrilled about the gold rush.

“Prospectors dig where we graze our cattle,” said Erkin Karshiev, a leading farmer in the region.

“Look how the last guys left everything,” the 66-year-old farmer said, motioning frustratedly to holes a dozen metres deep.

Mr. Karshiev said he was “really afraid the animals will fall in”. But his multiple calls on the authorities to resolve the issue have thus far gone ignored.

“We only want one thing: for the gold miners to level the land by filling in the holes when they leave.”

The prospecting rush is also providing an unexpected employment boon for a country where 20% of workers are forced to go abroad for work, mainly to Russia.

Mr. Khudaberdiyev gave the example of his young employees. Before he hired them, one was unemployed, the other a farm hand. “Now they earn three to four million som (240 to 360 euros) on average” each month, Mr. Khudaberdiyev said — a decent salary for the region.

The new wave of gold miners are not allowed to do as they please with the gold they dig up.

All of it must be funnelled through the Uzbek central bank, which trades it for dollars on the global market.

The country’s growing economy depends on injections of foreign currency to support the national currency. The Uzbek som has one of the lowest face values in the world, with $1 worth 12,500 som.

Bengaluru:

Bengaluru police are investigating the mysterious death of a 37-year-old Uzbekistan woman at a hotel in the city. The woman, identified as Zareena, was found dead in her room at Jagadish Hotel in Bengaluru’s Seshadripuram area.

Zareena had arrived in Bengaluru four days ago on a tourist visa.

Police said that the hotel staff knocked at Zareena’s room, which is on the second floor, yesterday afternoon at 4.30 pm. On not receiving a response, they unlocked the door with a master key and found her lying dead.  

The hotel manager promptly filed a complaint, and police registered a case of mysterious death.

Police said that an investigation is on, but prima facie evidence points to murder. They believe that Zareena was smothered and have sent the body to Bowring Hospital for post-mortem.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, accompanied by a canine squad, meticulously combed through the room for any traces of evidence that could unravel the mystery in the case. The CCTV and register at the hotel are being examined to see if anyone visited Zareena’s room on Wednesday.

Wall dedicated to Indian celebrities who visited Raaj Kapur restaurant in Tashkent.
| Photo Credit: PTI

In the heart of Tashkent, a city known for its rich history, stands an Indian restaurant celebrating the legacy of legendary Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor and the love of the Uzbeks for him even 35 years after his death.

Styled on the Bollywood theme, the ‘Raaj Kapur’ restaurant which is one of the three major Indian restaurants in Tashkent, is not new but at least 16 years old and is a hit among not only Indian tourists but also locals for its lip-smacking dishes.

Three superstars from the Kapoor family — Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor — have also dined at the restaurant on different occasions.

“People in Uzbekistan are crazy about Bollywood and generations of people from Uzbekistan and Russia – even the young – are aware of Raj Kapoor and his cinema and regard him as Bollywood’s numero uno. The restaurant attracts more crowd for its name and less for Indian food, which most visitors discover after enjoying a meal,” Sameer Khan, Resident manager, Raaj Kapur restaurant told PTI.

‘A definite stopover’

Housed in the Le Grande Hotel in Tashkent, the restaurant is a definite stopover for tourist groups from India and is popular for its Bollywood nights where Uzbeks also groove on top chartbusters from the 90s.

While Khan, who is originally from Mumbai, manages the property, the idea of the restaurant was first conceptualised by Jay Al Atas, an Indonesian who fell in love with Indian food during a visit to the country and was also impressed with the craze for Raj Kapoor in Russia and Uzbekistan.

“A lot of Indian tourist groups come here on a regular basis while Uzbeks enjoy the food on occasions and also love clicking pictures here. Whenever a Bollywood celebrity from India comes here, there is a bustling crowd,” he added.

The restaurant is also the official caterer for the majority of Indian events — be it the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit or ones like a recent Bollywood night which saw performances by Daler Mehandi and Ravi Kishan.

Five chefs from different parts of India are behind the variety-loaded menu at the restaurant.

“We offer all kinds of cuisine that are available in India. Our bestselling dishes are butter chicken, biryani, cheese naan and dosa,” said chef Kalamuddin Sheikh who hails from Orissa.

Celebrity guests

A wall in the restaurant boasts of the renowned people who have visited the restaurant be it politicians like Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh or Bollywood celebrities like Mithun Chakraborty, Shibani Kashyap, Daler Mehandi, Gulshan Grover, among others.

“We have placed signed sketches of the celebrities from India who have visited us. The restaurant is a big hit here,” Sohail Khan, Quality Manager at the restaurant told PTI.