The fourth day of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s budget session turned out to be stormy with allegations and counter-allegations blowing between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the principal opposition Congress over the issue of illegal mining.
Apart from this, many irregularities were also committed while awarding the mining contract, he said, while participating in the discussion in budget proposals presented a day before by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema.
Citing figures from past 20 years, Bains alleged that the previous governments looted the state in mining business. “In the past 20 years, the state earned Rs 1,083 crore only. If we calculate, and add compound interest, there was a loot of Rs 40,000 crore in these years, with Rs 7000 crore in the past five years of the Congress government,” he said.
Questioning the mining policy of previous governments, Bains said that maximum daily mining was 40,000 metric tonnes. “Now, this much is done in Pathankot alone...Each truck is being tracked in Punjab Govt’s portal,” he said.
Bains said that in May 2017, 102 mines were allotted, and in 2018, the then Congress Government brought the mining policy in which Punjab was divided into seven blocks. “The contractor shall deposit 25 percent in advance, and keep 25 per cent as bank guarantee. He will make payment 15 days before the next quarter. I want to ask why Rs 425 crores were earned instead of Rs 625 crores in three years? Why was the bank guarantee not seized? After our government was formed, we seized bank guarantee of Rs 25 crores,” he said.
Alleging that the Government sold of more sites to pocket more money, AAP Minister added that total 202 mines were auctioned, out of which only 43 are running.
He added that repeatedly amendments were made in the agreement, dated December 16, 2020, and mining was allowed in the restricted areas. “No discussion was held with the Forest Department. After this, 18 officers were suspended. Now, Vigilance has been asked to carry out a time-bound inquiry,” he said.
Pointing that 444 crushers operate in Punjab, Bains said that no policy has been formulated for this. The contractors continued to engage in illegal mining in Mohali, Patiala, and Fatehgarh Sahib blocks.
Congress MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring asked the government to prove its claims of generating Rs 20,000 revenue, while declaring that he would not enter the House if it is so.
Refuting the allegations, former Mining Minister and Congress MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria asked Bains why the income has not increased. “If you are saying that everything has increased, why the income from mining has not increased...first show this then question others,” he said.