Deputy Commissioners in Punjab have been directed to take immediate effective measures to check illegal mining and stabilise the prices of sand and gravel in the State.
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Monday issued the directions while calling upon the officers to initiate a crusade against unlawful mining in the State.
Presiding over a meeting of the Chief Secretary, Financial Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and the inspector Generals, Sukhbir asked them to ensure smooth, hassle free sand mining in Punjab.
Referring to the recent reports regarding illegal mining, Sukhbir said that a campaign should be launched. He asked the DCs along with senior police officers to visit the authorized Kandas in order to check any pilferage in the process of sand mining and determine the actual prices including the transportation cost fixed by the government and the prices charged.
Giving them a free hand, Sukhbir said that strict action would be taken against anybody found involved in illegal mining. Besides, he has asked all the DCs of ludhiana, Nawanshahr, Ropar, Ferozepur, Kapurthala, Moga, Jalandhar and Amritsar to identify 10 new mining sites each within a week and report to the Director Industries so that the process of setting up of new mining sites could be completed at the earliest.
The DCs would also give a detailed report about the loading of trucks, prices, transportation etc in their respective jurisdiction to the headquarters. Mandis would be created in all the district headquarters and an authorised officer from Mandi Board would be deputed to ensure that legal mines are functional in Punjab.
Sukhbir added that Site Appraisal Committees under the chairmanship of SDMs magistrates would be constituted and district level Environment Management Cells would be strengthened to ensure smooth functioning of the mines.