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Punjab: Bajwa slams AAP over hollow mining promise
After recent auction of 29 mining sites that yielded only ₹11.6 crore, leader of opposition alleges illegal mining continues to bleed Punjab’s exchequer three years into AAP’s term.
The leader of the opposition in the Punjab assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Monday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for failing to deliver on its 2022 poll promise to generate ₹20,000 crore in annual revenue by eliminating the mining mafia.
Bajwa’s remarks follow the recent auction of 29 mining sites, the first in three years, which yielded only ₹11.61 crore. He highlighted the stark disparity between this figure and the government’s original financial projections, labelling the promise a “political gimmick” used to mislead voters during the assembly elections.
“With barely a year left in their term, the government hasn’t come close to its target,” Bajwa said, challenging mining minister Barinder Kumar Goyal’s claims of increased transparency.
The Congress leader alleged that illegal mining continues to flourish under the nose of the administration. He questioned why it took three years to initiate auctions, suggesting the delay allowed illegal operations to benefit loyalists while the state exchequer suffered.
He said the people of Punjab now see through the government’s “administrative incompetence” and will hold them accountable for the betrayal of trust.
