Sukhbir Badal alleges illegal sand mining at Mukerian; desperate attempt, says Mining Minister Sarkaria

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh/Hoshiarpur, July 3 

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SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday alleged that illegal sand mining was being carried out at Mukerian in Hoshiarpur district.

Badal made a surprise visit to Mukerian and while talking to reporters there, he alleged that there was a nexus between certain officials and Congress leaders behind the “illegal mining”.

“Shocking state of mining mafia. After Beas, visited Mukerian & saw firsthand how mafia has extracted sand up to 200 feet. CM @capt_amarinder & minister @SarkariaTeam should tell Pbis (Punjabis) which law allows extraction of sand up to 200 feet? Officially the limit is 10 feet only,” Badal said in a tweet.

“2 days back when we exposed illegal mining at Beas, Mining Secretary justified the same. I’m waiting how govt will justify illegal activity at Mukerian. We aren’t afraid of cases. Cong govt can register 10 cases against me but I’ll continue to safeguard interests of Punjabis,” said Badal in another tweet.

On June 30, the Shiromani Akali Dal chief had made similar charges when he had visited the Beas river bank in Amritsar.

Though at that time, the state mining department had trashed Badal’s accusations and asserted that the site visited by the SAD chief near the Beas river was a legal one.

On July 1, the Amritsar Police had booked Badal and two other Akali leaders under various sections, including 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC and the Epidemic Diseases Act.’

‘Desperate attempts’

Punjab Mining Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria on Saturday lashed out at Sukhbir Singh Badal for what he called were “his desperate attempts to gain lost political ground in the state”.

In a statement issued here Mining Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria said that the sites visited by Sukhbir Badal in Hoshiarpur district were auctioned under the previous regime of Akalis. A press release quoted him as claiming that there were several attempts by some people to continue illegal mining but the department had acted swiftly and imposed heavy penalties. This was the only reason that Akalis went to their favorite mining sites and there was no machinery as well as illegal mining as claimed by the Akalis,” he said.

He also claimed that the state exchequer under the Badal rule was receiving the revenue to the tune of Rs. 35 to 40 crore annually, which had now increased to 10 fold in the Congress Government.

“Sukhbir Badal knows that the transparency ensured by the Congress Government in mining activities would become an issue in the upcoming assembly polls,” said the Minister.

 — With PTI