Despite Punjab Govt claims, no drop in sand prices

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, December 12

All ‘attempts’ of the state government to curb the high prices of sand have come to naught in the area.

Despite the government making tall claims of slashing sand prices and fixing these at Rs 5.5 per cubic feet last month and big-sized publicity hoardings dotting every nook and corner in this regard, the sand prices in the open market are sticking to the old rates of Rs 24 to Rs 26 per cubic feet.

‘No relief to user’

• Though the state government in its policy on November 10 announced that a consumer was free to take his own transport, these vehicles are not allowed at the mining sites
• “It is transport mafia in place of sand mafia now, and there is no relief to the end user,” said retail dealers in sand and gravel

While the district administration in Faridkot claims it was strictly enforcing the state government instructions of selling the sand at Rs 5.5 per cubic feet at the sand pits and it was being sold between Rs 21.50 and Rs 23.52 per cubic feet in different towns of the district after including the transportation charges, the buyers in the area said they were still paying the same price.

“We are unable to see any impact of the end of sand mafia as claimed by the government. What is the point of erecting big hoardings and billboards?” said most of the buyers constructing their houses.

Vimal Setia, Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot, said there was no government-approved sand-mining site in the district and all sand being sold was brought from adjoining districts. The sand rates in different towns of the district have been fixed between Rs 21.50 and Rs 23.52 per cubic feet, he said. This included the transportation charges. These rates are Rs 21 per cubic feet at Faridkot and Golewala, Rs 22 at Kotkapura and Panjgrain, Rs 23 at Jaito and Sadiq and Rs 24 per cubic feet at Bajakhana. The claim notwithstanding, in the open market, sand is being sold between Rs 24 and Rs 26 per cubic feet.

While one cubic feet of sand at the pit-end is Rs 5.5, the transportation charges are 300 to 350 per cent of its actual price. Though the state government in its policy on November 10 announced that a consumer was free to take his own transport, these vehicles are not allowed at the mining sites. “It is ‘transport mafia’ in place of ‘sand mafia’ now, and there is no relief to the end user,” said retail dealers in sand and gravel in Faridkot, preferring anonymity.

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