Punjab government agrees to consider geologists for technical posts in mining department

The Punjab government informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court on petition seeking removal of non-technically qualified officials from technical posts in mining department

: The Punjab government has agreed to consider geologists for technical posts, supervision of mining operations and heading districts.

Punjab government agrees to consider geologists for technical posts in mining department. A file photo of the mining activity

The state government informed the Punjab and Haryana high court in a written reply on a petition seeking removal of non-technically qualified officials from technical posts and deployment of mining engineers and geologists as mining officers to oversee the mining operations.

Avinit Avasthi, Assistant Advocate General, Punjab replied to the court that the issues and representation of the petitioner shall be considered and decided by the state government expeditiously in accordance with law.

The court on March 22 disposed of the petition as the state government agreed to take a decision as per rules and laws. A copy of the order is with HT.

The Sustainable Sand Mining guidelines, 2016, Enforcement and Monitoring guidelines 2020 and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 make it mandatory for states to deploy qualified geologists or mining engineers to supervise mining operations.

However, not even a single specialist officer has been deployed to supervise mining operations across the state.

Currently, the civil engineers of the irrigation department’s drainage wing, who lack expertise, skill and technical knowledge of mines and minerals, are heading districts and supervising mining operations in the state. The mining department has eight geologists, who are technical experts and specialists, but all are deployed in ‘insignificant’ posts.

“The persons, who are not technically qualified, have been granted authority and power under the Mines and Minerals Rules (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 as well as the Punjab Minor Mineral Rules, 2013, which is contrary to the law,” the petition stated.

An official of the mining department, on the basis of anonymity, said, “now the department has to deploy geologists to supervise mining operations as they are bound to do as per the court order.”

Mining department secretary Rahul Bhandari, did not respond to calls and messages.