The mining department is all set to introduce public mining sites in the state to ensure that sand and gravel are available at reasonable rates to the general public, said mining and geology minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer.
Hayer said that these sites will help in checking any malpractice to increase prices of sand. He said the chief minister would shortly announce details of all such sites and the first public mining site would be inaugurated soon. The public mining site would be a place where any person, requiring sand for his personal use, can purchase it by paying only ₹ 5.50 per sq ft, he added.
The minister said that such a person would be required to get his own transport vehicle along with labour to extract the required quantity of sand from the site. “No JCBs or any other similar form of mechanical mining will be allowed in any public mining site and nor will any contractors be allowed to mine it. Government officials would be present on the site to collect the sale price and issue a proper receipt against it,” he said.
On the availability of sand and gravel in the state, Hayer said that mining operations had resumed in Ropar and Pathankot districts and would soon commence in other districts too. Transporters, crusher owners and miners have been cautioned against overcharging and deputy commissioners have been asked to depute teams to randomly call up the consumers to inquire about the rate paid by them for sand or gravel.
{{/usCountry}}On the availability of sand and gravel in the state, Hayer said that mining operations had resumed in Ropar and Pathankot districts and would soon commence in other districts too. Transporters, crusher owners and miners have been cautioned against overcharging and deputy commissioners have been asked to depute teams to randomly call up the consumers to inquire about the rate paid by them for sand or gravel.
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