Pb seeks inputs from ministry of mines for state's mining policy

Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today held consultations with the senior officials of the Ministry of Mines, Government of India and sought inputs on framing a comprehensive state mining policy, aimed to plug revenue leakage.

Sidhu, who is also Chairman of Punjab's cabinet sub-committee on mining, said the final draft of New Mining Policy for Punjab would be submitted on April 21.

Sidhu along with state officials held meeting with Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Anil Mukim, Joint Secretary (Mines) N K Singh and Director (Mines), Government of India, Prithul Kumar to consult various aspects related to mining policy in threadbare here today in Delhi, said an official release.

Sidhu, said the meeting was held for consulting all aspects with Centre's higher authorities in order to bring a foolproof comprehensive mining policy keeping in view the interests of common people and for generating revenue for the state.

"We got valuable suggestions during the meeting that will help in making the Punjab mining policy foolproof with due reference to rules and regulations. Besides, we also got study report of 13 states that will also be helpful in making the state mining policy a subliming foundation," Sidhu said.

Sidhu said the state government is fully geared up to release comprehensive policy on mining taking into account views of all the stakeholders and emphasis would be on "to weed out the lacunae in the previous mining policy".

The main objective of the new mining policy would be to plug the revenue loss caused to the state exchequer, he said.

Besides Sidhu, other members of the cabinet sub-committee are Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and the Rural Development & Panchayat Minister, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa.