Chandigarh, November 22, 2024: Punjab Mining Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal convened a meeting with contractors of commercial mining sites, emphasizing the need to ensure affordable sand and gravel availability. He assured citizens that the state government’s crackdown on the sand mafia has resulted in significantly reduced prices.
“Sand is now available at Rs 5.50 per cubic foot at government and commercial mining sites, a measure aimed at easing the burden on the public,” said Goyal.
Currently, Punjab operates 73 public mining sites and 40 commercial sites, with a combined extraction capacity of 138.68 lakh metric tonnes. From these, 18.38 lakh metric tonnes of sand have been extracted from public sites and 34.50 lakh metric tonnes from commercial clusters. More than 132.99 lakh metric tonnes of sand and gravel remain available for extraction.
The minister criticized previous administrations, accusing them of colluding with the sand mafia and exploiting the state’s resources. He reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency, announcing plans to increase the number of public mining sites to 150 and commercial sites to 100.
Regarding measures to combat illegal mining, Goyal revealed that 1,360 FIRs under the Mining Act and Rules had been registered from April 2022 to October 2024. “Strict actions are being taken to curb illegal activities. Contractors can be assured of protection, and their grievances will be addressed promptly,” he stated.
To safeguard fair practices, Goyal announced that overloaded vehicles transporting minerals from other states would face stringent checks. “The transport department will ensure compliance so contractors can operate without disruption and continue providing employment to locals,” he added.
The minister concluded by urging public cooperation to completely eradicate illegal mining activities and reaffirmed the government’s dedication to making resources accessible at reasonable rates.
