Ludhiana: Overwhelming response to public mines

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, February 7

The first public mines thrown open by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in the district on Sunday have evoked a massive response with over 13,000 cubic feet sand sold at a controlled price of Rs 5.5 per cubic foot on a single day, the administration has claimed.

In a bid to provide sand to people at cheaper rates, the state government had opened 16 public mines across seven districts in the state.

In Ludhiana, the CM had himself come to formally inaugurate two public mines at Gorsian Khan Mohammad and Bhukhri villages in Jagraon.

As per official details, 11,522 cubic feet of sand was sold at Rs 5.50 per cubic foot and 35 tractor-trailers were loaded in Bhukhri whereas 1,611 cubic feet of sand in four tractor-trailers was sold in Gorsian Khan Mohammad public mining site on the first day of operations in the district.

An official spokesperson said only manual excavation of sand was permitted at these two public mining sites. He said no mechanical excavation of sand was allowed at these sites.

He said, “The sites will be open for the sale of sand from 6 am in the morning to 7 pm in the evening daily from April 1 to September 30 and 7 am to 5 pm daily between October 1 and March 31.”