Chandigarh, Jun 25 (PTI) Punjab’s Mines and Geology Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Saturday said illegal sand mining which had been allegedly going on during the previous regimes has been stopped and said a detailed policy and roadmap will be issued for revenue generation.
In reply to a question raised in the Assembly by Congress MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria during Question Hour, Bains said after the budget is presented on Monday, he will come out with a detailed policy and roadmap for sand mining.
“After the budget is presented, I will detail what is our policy and what is our revenue year-wise during the past 15 years. I will put details how we will increase our revenue… We stopped illegal mining and we are committed to give sand and gravel to the public at affordable rates.
“I am saying on the floor of the House that revenue which used to be collected earlier during five years will be collected in one year alone,” he claimed.
Bains said the AAP government was committed to provide sand and gravel to public at affordable rates.
Raising a supplementary question, AAP MLA Aman Arora said, “Former chief minister Amarinder Singh had earlier given a statement where he had talked about a 10-12 page list of political leaders who were engaged in illegal sand mining.” “Did you get any such list?,” Arora asked Bains.
Intervening in the matter, senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, who is the Leader of the Opposition, asked the ruling member “not to give sweeping statements”.
“If you have any fact, start with Amarinder Singh. You are saying Amarinder Singh has a list, then first get hold of him. But don’t make sweeping statements in front of the people of Punjab,” Bajwa said.
Sarkaria said when the AAP was in the opposition it used to make “hue and cry” about alleged illegal sand mining and the party supremo used to say the state exchequer will get Rs 20,000 crore once it is stopped.
“I want to ask when will the state get that Rs 20,000 crore.” PTI SUN AQS AQS
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