More heads to roll over illegal mining: Minister

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 25

Mines and Geology Minister Harjot Singh Bains today said discrepancies in sand mining in Punjab would be highlighted in detail along with the roadmap for generating finances during the ongoing session of the Vidhan Sabha.

He said this in reply to a question by Congress MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria during Question Hour in the Assembly session.

Resort not set up, firm to face action

• The state government has been mulling over taking a legal action against Alchemist Hospitality for not setting up a five-star resort despite demolishing the famous riverside Pincassia resort of the Punjab Tourism Department a decade ago
• Replying to a question raised by Ropar MLA Dinesh Chadha, Tourism Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the bank guarantee of concessionaire worth Rs 1 crore had already been withheld in July 2014 and the agreement terminated for the breach of conditions

AAP MLA Aman Arora said: “Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh in a Vidhan Sabha session had talked about a 10-12 page list of political leaders engaging in illegal sand mining. Did you get any list?”

To this, Bains replied: “A former MLA (Congress man Joginder Pal from Bhoa) has been booked. More action will follow. No one involved in illegal trade will be spared. We will bring forward all the facts after the Budget.”

Amritsar (North) MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh asked whether the Government Circuit House in Amritsar was given out on lease to a political family. He was pointing towards former minister OP Soni and son Sandeep Soni. Minister of Finance Harpal Cheema replied: “Our files don’t have the fact of any political association with the project in question. The charge is serious and we will get the matter probed.”

AAP MLA Budh Ram raised the issue of the Congress government having stopped the waiver of annual examination fee for SC/ST students. Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Baljit Kaur said the issue would be discussed with the Finance Department.

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