Punjab CM announces reward of Rs 25,000 for mining violation
Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Dec, 2021 12:02 PM
Chandigarh, Dec 10 (IANS) To ensure that the illegal sand mining is effectively nipped in the bud and prices of sand remain constant at the government fixed rates of Rs 5.50 per cubic feet, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi has announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for violation of norms.
He has directed district officials to keep a strict vigil at the mining sites. He also asked the Deputy Commissioners to declare the reward if proof is provided either in video or any other form about the violation of the norms.
The Chief Minister on Thursday late directed the officials to ensure that if any panchayat wants sand it should be provided free of cost from the mining sites. Also no charges should be levied from the tractor-trailers carrying sand. Only trucks should be charged the rate of Rs 5.50 per cubic feet.
Likewise, the Chief Minister also emphasized to increase the number of legal sites of mining and restart work on those sites that were closed down earlier. An official statement quoting the Chief Minister said no political interference would be tolerated as he is determined to crackdown hard on the culprits indulging in illegal sand mining.
Jasbir Singh Virk, president of Bhartiya Sikh Sangthan, has underlined the need to intensify the ongoing farmers' agitation and said that there was a need to shore up strength at the Delhi borders.
Punjab BJP President Ashwani Sharma told IANS that to control infighting in its party state unit, the Congress leadership made Channi ji (Charanjit Singh Channi) the Punjab Chief Minister but insulted the Dalit community by not allowing him to lead the party in the upcoming state Assembly polls.
The government and drug controller's office will have to take a decision on the third booster dose based on data and cases as times goes on and including how effective the vaccine is on the Delta virus variant, he added.
The petitioner said the state had passed the Punjab Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act of 2006 but it has never implemented it in case of appointment in judicial services.
In the run up to the assembly polls scheduled early next year, the BJP Punjab unit has launched several campaigns to strengthen its organisational structure at ground level. Sharma said that work is progressing at good pace for formation of a 21-member committee at each polling booth.
