CHANDIGARH: Punjab mines and geology minister Harjot Singh Bains said in the Vidhan Sabha on Saturday that he will present a detailed report on illegal sand mining after Monday’s state budget and lay a roadmap for generating revenue and preventing this mineral robbery.
Bains said no minister or MLA, current or former, will be spared if involved in illegal mining. Earlier this month, Bhoa’s former Congress MLA Joginder Pal was arrested. The minister said the state government had earned more than Rs 30 crore from mining in the last three months and booked 270 people. Sand is worth Rs 26 to 28 and gravel is worth Rs 29 to 30 in the state, for each cubic feet. Bains said this in reply to a question from former mines minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria.
The ex-minister had sought details of the current market rate of sand and gravel along with the amount deposited in state’s treasury under the AAP government since March 16. He also wanted to know how many cases had been registered against illegal miners in this period. Sarkaria claimed that: “During the Congress times, sand’s market rate was Rs 17 to 21 for each cubic feet.”
Claiming that the AAP government’s efforts had reduced illegal mining in the state, Brar said: the rates of sand and gravel might have increased lately but the state government was trying to reduce these, too. He accused the previous governments of ignoring illegal mining for the sake of revenue, and claimed that because of this, Rs 108 crore of the state government was stuck in arbitration.
