Faridkot: Post ED raids, sand prices soar 25%

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, January 28

Days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had raided multiple locations of the companies linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the state; sand prices have registered about 25 per cent hike in the area.

Drop in illegal mining

• According to sources, the hike in prices has been due to fall in the rate of illegal mining and lesser availability of vehicles for transportation of sand
• Against the state government’s fixed price of Rs5.5 per cubic feet at the sand pits, sand is being sold at Rs28 to Rs30 per cubic feet in the retail market

Against the state government’s fixed price of Rs 5.5 per cubic feet at the sand pits, sand is being sold at Rs 28 to Rs 30 per cubic feet in the retail market here. Before the ED’s raid, sand was being sold at Rs 22 to Rs 24 per cubic feet in the retail market.

Claiming the department was strictly enforcing the state government’s instruction regarding the ceiling on sand prices, District Mining Officer (DMO) Rupinder Singh said he had no information regarding the hike in prices of sand. Faridkot Deputy Commissioner Harbir Singh said he would check the retail prices at sand pits and in retail market.

According to sources, the hike in prices has been due to fall in the rate of illegal mining and lesser availability of vehicles for transportation of sand. After the ED tightened noose around some persons in the state, many local leaders who were in the business have suspended their work for the past about 10 days. Tippers have been the most common and visible means for sand transportation from the mining pits to the retailers in the past 10 years.

It is alleged that several political leaders have links with those in the sand mining and sand transportation business. As they have had almost ‘monopoly’ control on the transportation of the sand from mining pits to the retail market, so the transportation charges were quite high and unreasonable.

After the raid at various locations in Punjab about 10 days back, these political leaders have asked their relatives to suspend illegal mining and sand transportation. Thus the raids have led to a shortage of sand in the open market and causing a hike in its price, said a retail dealer in sand in Faridkot. Before theraids, we were getting sand at Rs 45 per quintal and selling it at Rs 55 per quintal but now we are getting for Rs 60 per quintal, said a retailer.

The DMO said there was no government approved sand mining site in the district and all sand being sold is brought from the adjoining districts, so he didn’t know the reason behind the hike in sand prices.

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