Punjab government today directed the deputy commissioners to ensure availability of sand, gravel and other mining material to public at reasonable price.
Reviewing the availability of mining material, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said DCs should ensure nobody is allowed to create artificial scarcity of mining material by either not operating or under-operating mines.
"It is imperative for district authorities to monitor the dispatch of excavated mining material everyday and send the report to Central Control Room daily," he said.
He asked Chief Minister's Principal Secretary S K Sandhu to coordinate with all Deputy Commissioners, Mining Department and Pollution Control Department to remove inter-departmental impediments delaying auction of mines.
Ordering immediate auction of 100 mines spread over less than 50 hectare, Badal said the auction process should be accelerated to increase supplies in the market to bring price at reasonable level.
Focusing on river bed dredging to excavate sand, he directed the DCs to identify at least 100 such spots where dredging of river is legally allowed.
He said surface mining, if possible, should be avoided so as not to destroy cultivable land for mining.
Taking serious note of 4.57 lakh tonnes of mining material lying in two districts awaiting procedural clearance for auction, Badal asked departments concerned to immediately auction mining material which could fulfil the requirement of entire state for at least four months.
He also directed the Irrigation Department to conduct statewide river bed mapping to identify suitable spots for the dredging of sand. Punjab has 800 km-long canal network and there is a huge possibility of dredging sand scientifically from the river bed, he added.
