A week after issuing directions to all the Deputy Commissioners across Punjab to check illegal mining and stabilise sand-gravel prices, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Monday asked the districts’ administrative heads to personally monitor the availability of mining material.
Giving clear and explicit directions to all Deputy Commissioners, Sukhbir also asked them to ensure that sand and gravel is available to the common public at reasonable prices, besides assuring working of all auctioned mines at their full capacity.
Reviewing the availability of mining material to the public in a meeting of DCs, Sukhbir said that their duty is to ensure that no body was allowed to create artificial scarcity of mining material by not operating the mines or under operating the mines just for profiteering.
“It is imperative for district authorities to monitor the dispatch of excavated mining material everyday and send the report to Central Control Room daily,” said Sukhbir.
He asked the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister SK Sandhu to coordinate with all Deputy Commissioners, Mining Department, and Pollution Control Department to remove inter-departmental impediments delaying the auction of mines.
Ordering the immediate auction of 100 mines below 50 hectares, he said that auction process should be accelerated to increase the supplies in the market and bring the price at reasonable level.
Focusing on riverbed dredging to excavate sand, Sukhbir asked DCs to identify at least 100 such spots, where dragging of river was legally allowed.
“Time has come that we should adopt most scientific dredging techniques to excavate sand from the riverbeds without harming the environment. Surface mining, if possible, should be avoided as we should not destroy the cultivable land just for mining,” he added.
Taking serious note of 4.57 lakh tonnes of mining material lying in two districts, awaiting the procedural clearance for auction, he asked the concerned department to immediately auction the same, which could fulfill the requirement of whole Punjab for at least four months.
He also asked the Irrigation Department to conduct Statewide riverbed mapping to identify suitable spots for the dredging of sand.
He asked the Industry Department to delegate the power to Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Tehsildars or Naib Tehsildars for excavating soil for construction purpose.
Asking the DCs to cancel all those contracts of mines, who have not started their operations, Sukhbir said that no body would be allowed to monopolised trade to create scarcity of the construction material. He also asked the DCs to ensure proper working of newly setup sale points of mining material.
“I would personally monitor the availability of mining material to the general public and review the position in the weekly meeting of DCs,” he added.