Delay in new sand auction policy leads to revenue loss for state
A long delay in introducing a fresh policy on sand mining from quarries in the district is causing losses in crores to the state exchequer. On the other hand, people are also bearing the brunt as they are forced to buy it at exorbitant rates over the years.
District Mining Officer Gurbir Singh said there are a total of 16 quarries in the district and all of them have been lying closed for the past over two years.
Obviously, the government did not earn revenue from the stalled quarries. Yet, the Department of Mines and Geology, which functions under the Punjab Water Resources Department, has so far issued 200 challans against illegal mining over the past two years.
All these 16 quarries are situated close to the Ravi and Beas rivers in the district, which are preferred for fine sand. Coarse sand is sourced from quarries in Pathankot and surrounding areas. They were closed following the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s stay order directing that no extraction of minor mineral was permitted without the no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Army and the BSF.
Meanwhile, officials of the Department of Mines and Geology, which looks after quarries, said the demand of local consumers in the district are being met by a quarry operational in Tarn Taran and from Jalandhar.
That is the main reason of spiralling sand prices in the city. High transportation costs is another major reason behind exorbitant rates for fine sand. The AAP government’s poll announcement of providing Rs 5.5 per cubic foot sand at the mining site has remained non-implemented till date.
Parminder Singh, a consumer, who is getting his house constructed, said despite tall claims by the government to provide sand at low prices, consumers, especially from low and middle-income group families, are having to pay through the nose to buy construction materials.