Chandigarh/Nawanshahr, February 8
Punjab Mining and Geology Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said here, today, that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led state government has broken the backbone of sand mafia by bringing transparency in the sand supply.
The Minister of Mines and Geology, who inspected the public sand mining site at Khoja village in Nawanshahr, today, said that the Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government has fulfilled the promise of providing sand from the sand mines for Rs 5.50 per cubic feet to the people and has also proved that the transparency in governance and honesty towards public interest is the biggest priority of the state government.
He said now onwards neither any goon will be found for extortion in the name of mining nor there any illegal mining. He said that for the Punjab government, the interests of the common people are above the revenue from sand.
Meet Hayer said that in view of the massive response to the public sand mines in 7 districts of Punjab launched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday from Ludhiana and the ease of providing sand to the common people, the scope of these mines will be extended by the end of this month. The number of public sand mines will be increased to 50 in 14 districts. He said that the target has been set to increase this number to over 150 by next year.
Responding a media query whether all ‘clearances’ have been taken from the competitive authorities to operate these public sand mines, the Minister said that there was a special instruction in this regard by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, according to which these mines have been opened to the public only after taking necessary approvals from the the Honorable High Court and State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).
