Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today directed deputy commissioners to take immediate effective measures to check illegal mining and stabilise prices of sand and gravel in the state.
"Initiate a crusade against unlawful mining and ensure smooth and hassle-free sand mining in the state," he told the deputy commissioners at a meeting, which was also participated by the Chief Secretary, Financial Commissioners and IGs, here.
Badal asked the DCs and senior police officers to make frequent checks to prevent any pilferage in the process of sand mining and determine the actual prices, including the transportation cost fixed by the government and the prices charged.
Strict action would be taken against those found involved in illegal mining, he said.
Badal also said modalities were being worked out to declare the whole river area as new mining areas.
He also asked the DCs - especially of Ludhiana, Ropar, Nawanshahr, Ferozepur, Kapurthala, Moga, Jallandhar and Amritsar - to identify 10 new mining sites each within a week and report to the Director Industries so that the process of setting up of new mining sites could be completed at the earliest.
