Chandigarh, November 21: To provide sand and gravel at affordable prices to the people of the state, Mining Minister Punjab Barinder Kumar Goyal convened a crucial meeting with contractors of the commercial mining sites (CMS) on Thursday, where he emphasised that they must ensure the availability of sand and gravel at reasonable rates.

to ensure that people get cheap sand.: Minister

While interacting with the contractors Goyal said that Chief Minister  Bhagwant Singh Mann led government has eradicated the sand mafia which had flexed its muscles in the past, to ensure that people get cheap sand.

The Minister said that the sand is now being sold at just Rs. 5.50 at public and commercial mining sites, providing a major reprieve to the people.

He informed that the state has internationalisation 73 public mining sites and 40 commercial mining site clusters to ensure the pit head price of sand remains at Rs. 5.50 per cubic feet.

He informed that the total extracted quantity to date is 18.38 LMT out of the total capacity 47.19 LMT from 73 public mining sites. Whereas, 40 commercial mining sites clusters have a planned extraction quantity of 138.68 LMT, with 34.50 LMT of sand and gravel already extracted. Over 132.99 LMT of sand and gravel is still available on both PMS and CMS sites, he added.

Previous govts for producing and patronising the sand mafia : Mining Minister Punjab

Unequivocally slamming the previous governments for producing and patronising the sand mafia in the state, Barinder Kumar Goyal said that everyone knows that these leaders were hand in glove with sand mafia that plundered the state during their long misrule.

The Mining Minister said the government has launched a crackdown against the sand mafia, which the previous regime’s leaders had patronised, adding that the Mann government has taken numerous steps to eradicate the sand mafia that had once held power.

 Govt  set a target to open 150 public mining sites: Mining Minister Punjab

The Cabinet Minister said that the Punjab government has set a target to open total of 150 public mining sites and 100 commercial mining sites in the state.

 Goyal said that public mining sites allow the public to excavate and sell sand at their own, contributing to increased supply and subsequently reducing market rates.

The Mining and Geology Minister shared details of the measures taken to check illegal mining, stating, “We are taking strict action against illegal mining activities, and from April 2022 to October 2024, we have lodged 1360 FIRs as per the provisions of the Mining Act and rules in the state.”

Do not harass people at any cost

The Mining Minister also carefully listened to contractors’ issues and assured their prompt resolution. “People should not be harassed at any cost,” the Cabinet Minister clearly stated, while urging cooperation in completely preventing illegal mining.

The Cabinet Minister said that the government would implement stringent measures on overloaded vehicles transporting mineral resources from other states and instruct the Transport Department to take action against them. This will ensure that contractors can continue their operations, providing employment opportunities for local people.

others who were present in the meeting

Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Secretary, Mines & Geology, Punjab, Abhijit Kaplish, Director Mining and Dr. Harinder Pal Singh Bedi, Chief Engineer, Mining.