Chandigarh, Aug 8 (PTI) Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Saturday exuded confidence that his party will form the next government in the state and will make legally sourced sand available free of cost for genuine household and public construction needs.
“We will turn Punjab’s natural resources into a direct benefit for its people,” Warring said.
“To be implemented after the Congress forms the government in 2027, the proposed ‘Punjab Da Ret Haq’ scheme will aim to bring down construction costs for ordinary Punjabis, support employment and accelerate development across the state,” he was quoted as saying in a party statement.
According to the statement, Warring said Punjab’s rivers and natural resources should not become a means of enriching a handful of powerful interests. They must become an economic resource that benefits ordinary families and helps build a stronger Punjab.
Punjab is slated to go to the polls early next year.
“Sand is not a luxury. It is needed to build a house, repair a home, construct a school, build a road, lay a drain and create infrastructure. If Punjab has this natural resource, why should an ordinary Punjabi be forced to pay an excessive price for it?” Warring said.
Under the proposed scheme, he said, legally extracted sand would be made available without the usual material cost for the genuine public’s construction needs.
The initiative would particularly benefit ordinary families constructing or repairing their homes, farmers undertaking necessary construction, small contractors, labourers and public infrastructure projects, he said.
“When construction becomes cheaper, families can build and repair their homes at a lower cost. When infrastructure becomes cheaper, more roads, drains, schools, hospitals and public facilities can be built with the same public money. Increased construction activity will also benefit masons, labourers, electricians, plumbers, transporters, small contractors and other workers,” he said.
“Our aim is not simply to make sand cheaper. Our aim is to make life cheaper and development faster for the people of Punjab,” Warring said.
Warring said the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in 2022 with huge promises on Punjab’s mining sector.
The party claimed that mining could generate Rs 20,000 crore annually, and projected around Rs 1 lakh crore in five years, he said.
“Four years later, the people of Punjab have every right to ask: Where is that promised transformation?” Warring said.
“AAP looked at Punjab’s sand and saw government revenue. Congress looks at Punjab’s sand and sees the homes of our families, the roads of our villages, the schools of our children and the jobs of our workers,” he said.
Warring made it clear that ‘Punjab Da Ret Haq’ does not mean a free-for-all in mining.
“The Congress government would establish a transparent, technology-driven sand management system … Free sand will never mean free licence to destroy Punjab’s rivers. We will protect the environment while ensuring that Punjab’s resources serve Punjab’s people,” the Congress leader said. PTI SUN VN VN
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