Punjab Government is to auction 39 quarries in June to make supply of sand and crusher easy in the State, getting an environmental clearance from the Centre.
Punjab Industry and Commerce Minister Anil Joshi on Wednesday said that out of these 39 quarries, 12 are dealt with sand, whereas 27 with gravel and crusher, in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Ropar, Mohali and Patiala districts.
Joshi said that with the auction of these quarries, people of Punjab would get sand and crusher on very nominal rates as sand quarries are of 518 acres, whereas crusher quarries have an area of 2,300 acres, which would produce huge quantity materials used for construction.
He said that Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has recommended to give clearance to 55 quarries in Punjab on April 16 in Expert Appraisal Committee meeting, but 39 quarries are approved for digging. Remaining 16 would be auctioned after forest department’s approval, he added.