CM Bhagwant Mann inaugurates public sand mine site in Ludhiana
Mann said the sand will be sold at just Rs 5.50 per cubic feet in public mining sites. He said that in the coming month, the number of such sites will be increased to 50.
In a move aimed at ensuring the supply of cheap sand and gravel to the public, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Sunday announced the opening of 16 public sand mines across seven districts in the state.
Mann inaugurated one such public sand mine site at Gorsian Khan Mohammad in Ludhiana.
The chief minister said the state government has fulfilled another poll guarantee by “eradicating the sand mafia which had flexed its muscles in the past…”
Mann said the sand will be sold at just Rs 5.50 per cubic feet in public mining sites. He said that in the coming month, the number of such sites will be increased to 50.
He said only manual excavation of sand will be permitted in these public mining sites and no mechanical excavation of sand will be allowed. The chief minister added that no mining contractor will be allowed to operate in these public mining sites and sand from here will only be sold for use in the construction of non-commercial projects.
He further said that the sale of sand will happen only till sunset and a government official will always be present to regulate the extraction at each site.
Mann said the state government has operationalised a mobile app that will give information to people about public mining sites and also facilitate online payments.
He said 16 mines have been dedicated to the people Saturday and by next month, 50 more such mines will be operational across the state.
Mann said that the mobile app will be linked to Google Maps and will guide a user to the nearest public mine. He added that it will boost the rural economy as a large number of youths and labourers will be engaged in this exercise, leading to higher incomes. The chief minister further said the app will eliminate middlemen in the sale and purchase of sand and gravel, leading to the empowerment of the common man. Mann said the presence of public mining sites will automatically distort the prices and cause them to stabilise at a lower level, as these mines will become a regular alternate avenue for the common man for purchasing cheap sand.
He said the operation of the mines will be a completely transparent process as CCTV cameras have been installed to keep 24-hour surveillance in the area. The Punjab chief minister said that police patrolling will also be carried out at the sites to keep a check on malpractices.
Mann said these sites will be operational from 6 am to 7 pm from April 1-September 30 and from 7 am to 5 pm from October 1 to March 31.
He said the sand mafia that had flourished during previous government regimes will no longer be able to exploit the people. The AAP leader said that those who have earned money through illegal sand mining will be held accountable for their misdeeds. He claimed that within 10 months of assuming the charge, the state government has eliminated the transport mafia. He said free power has been provided to 87 per cent of households in the state since July 2022. Mann said that more than 26,000 government jobs have been provided to the youth and more are in pipeline.
The chief minister further said that the state government has started 500 Aam Aadmi Clinics across Punjab to impart quality health services. He said that to deliver the best education to the students, ‘Schools of Eminence’ were being set up across the state.
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