Punjab lost ₹3,000 crore in mining revenue during Akali rule: Sarkaria

Punjab water resources, and mines and geology minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria on Wednesday alleged that mining revenue worth ₹3,000 crore was lost during the

Punjab water resources, and mines and geology minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria on Wednesday alleged that mining revenue worth ₹3,000 crore was lost during the 10-year rule of the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) in the state.

HT Image

Responding to a supplementary query during the question hour, Sarkaria said the state government was getting only ₹35-40 crore a year from auction of mines earlier, but they were auctioned for ₹306 crore in July last year. “If we go by this figure, revenue of ₹3,000 crore was looted due to illegal mining during the previous government,” he said.

Muktsar MLA Kanwarjit Singh Barkandi (SAD) asked the minister for information about the first two-and-a-half years of the Congress government. “Why don’t you talk about it?” he questioned.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Sunam Aman Arora said the Congress had completed three years but was only interested in speaking about the SAD rule. “If the Congress MLAs are raising the illegal mining issue, it shows how serious is the situation,” he said. He also wanted to know what happened to a committee set up by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh that had the then (local bodies) minister Navjot Singh Sidhu as a member. In response, Sarkaria said Sidhu wanted to replicate the Telangana model but it was a ‘fizool’ (useless) idea.

175 POSTS OF MEDICAL OFFICERS TO BE FILLED

Health and family welfare minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the state government had started the process to fill up 175 posts of medical officers (general) through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). “Due to shortage of medical officers (specialist), appointment letters will be issued to 27 medical officers (specialist) on re-employment basis soon,” he said, in response to a question. He also said walk-in interviews would also be conducted soon to fill the vacant posts of medical officers (specialist).

‘NO GOVT SCHOOL BUILDING IS UNSAFE’

Responding to a question asked by Urmar MLA Sangat Singh Gilzian regarding school buildings in the Urmar assembly constituency, school education minister Vijay Inder Singla said not a single government school building was declared unsafe in the state.

“There are classrooms which have been declared unsafe in different schools. A sum of Rs 120 crore has been sanctioned for 1,597 rooms under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan,” he told the member. He said 31 rooms were unsafe in 11 schools in Urmar assembly segment and verification was being done. “As per requirement of the schools, proposal for construction of rooms or repair will be included under NABARD and SSA,” he added.

664 POSTS OF VET INSPECTORS VACANT

Animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy development minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said 664 posts of veterinary inspectors are lying vacant in the animal husbandry department. “The process of filling up these posts is under progress and it is likely to take about 6 months,” he said in a written reply to Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali.

1,449 TEACHING POSTS VACANT IN COLLEGES

In response to Jaitu MLA Baldev Singh’s ‘unstarred’ question regarding teaching posts in government colleges, higher education and languages minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said 1,449 posts of teaching faculty are vacant in the government colleges across the state. “A total of 89 posts of teaching faculty have been filled since 2000. A proposal is under consideration of the government for filling these posts. Necessary proposal has been prepared to seek sanction from finance and personnel departments,” he said in a written reply.