Chandigarh, Sep 2 (PTI) Congress MLA Pargat Singh on Monday raised the issue of illegal sand mining in his Jalandhar Cantt assembly constituency, prompting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to assure him to look into the matter.
During the Zero Hour on the first day of the three-day assembly session, Singh said despite no river flows in his constituency, illegal mining is taking place.
“Around 70-foot deep mining is taking place,” he claimed in the House.
Responding to Singh, CM Mann asked the Congress MLA to show him the site when he visits Jalandhar and said the issue will be addressed immediately.
Mann also said his government is sincere towards the environment. He further said canal water utilization for irrigation has reached 75 per cent as against 21 per cent when he assumed the office in 2022.
Singh also questioned the CM why the prosecution sanction has not been granted against the Dera Sacha Sauda head in the 2015 sacrilege cases.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition and Congress member Partap Singh Bajwa targeted the AAP government in the House, alleging that the state government was violating assembly rules of procedure by reducing the sitting days of the monsoon session.
Citing the assembly rules, Bajwa said there should be at least 40 sittings in a year.
The AAP government is going to complete its three years in March next year and it has held the assembly sittings for 39 days only, he said.
Bajwa said there are many burning issues including law and order situation, drug menace, justice in the sacrilege cases, brain-drain caused by unemployment, and spurious fertilizers, which urgently require discussion in the state assembly.
He sought that during the live telecast of the session, the camera should also be focused on opposition leaders.
Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira sought extension in the duration of the session to discuss important issues of the state.
He pointed out that when the AAP leaders were in opposition, they used to seek assembly sessions for longer duration.
Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali demanded that the duration of the session should be at least for seven days.
He also sought that a higher amount of compensation be given to farmers for their land acquired for a road project.
AAP member Inderbir Singh Nijjar pointed towards the non-functional toilets in a parking area for devotees at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Lifts are non-functional, he said, causing harassment to devotees.
Congress’ Sandeep Jakhar raised the issue of farmers’ protest here over their various demands including alleged delay in implementation of the agriculture policy.
He asked the state government to make the agriculture policy public. “If we have framed the policy then why is it not being made public,” he asked.
Farmers under the banner of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union began a five-day protest here on Sunday to press for their demands including the implementation of the agriculture policy by the Punjab government. PTI CHS KVK KVK
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