In a bid to reduce sand prices in the State, the Punjab Government has decided to make operational 17 quarries out of which 11 have already been commissioned.
Besides, 29 more mines will also be made functional by February 7 after getting environment clearances from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The decisions were taken by State Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal while reviewing the mining and provisioning of sand and gravel on subsidised rates during a high-level meeting on Wednesday accompanied by Agricultural Minister Jathedar Tota Singh. Sukhbir said that Punjab had received clearances from MoEF for 11 quarries out of which five mines at Sangera (Moga), Pawat and Kumkalan (ludhiana), Digana Khurd (Hoshiarpur) and Burj Tehal Das (SBS Nagar) were already functional.
Giving clear and explicit directions, he asked the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation limited (PSIEC) to operate six new quarries by coming Monday including Adranman and Bassian (Moga), Gujjarwal Bet, Mand Chaunta and Miana (ludhiana) and Jhugian Maha Singh in Jalandhar district. Sukhbir also directed the Punjab Mandi Board to install display boards carrying subsidised rates at quarry sites as well as delivery points in all the 130 market committees. Reviewing the availability of mining material, Deputy Chief Minister said that environment clearances for 29 quarries were in pipeline with MoEF and were likely to get green signal within week and be fully operational by February 7 for the facilitation of general public to purchase sand and gravel on subsidised rates.
He said that quarrying of sand and bajri should be accelerated to increase the supply in the market and bring the price to a very reasonable level. He said that the timing of mining will remain from 8 am to 8 pm only. Sukhbir also asked the PSIEC to install CCTV cameras on all pitheads in two weeks so that transparency level in mining could be enhanced. He also directed that helpline numbers should also be given by Mandi Board from where people could get the necessary information besides registering complaints, if any.
Taking serious note of illegal mining and unauthorized ferrying of sand and gravel, Sukhbir has also formed three mining zones in Punjab — Doaba, Malwa and Majha — which would be supervised and monitored by three retired officers of Indian Army in the rank of Generals. “These officers would report to Punjab Government for further necessary action. Four police officials at each district and three DSPs with one SP at headquarters in Chandigarh have already been deployed to assist mining officers,” he said.
Extending relief to the state’s rural population, Sukhbir said that people having tractor-trolleys could load their trolleys with sand or gravel from nearby quarries after getting a payment slip from Mandi Board. To check commercial practices, tractor-trolleys would not cover the radius of more than 50 kilometers, he added. Focusing on canals and river-bed dredging to excavate sand, he asked the Chief Secretary to submit report within fortnight after identifying such spots where dredging of canals and river could be possible.