Proposal to shift mining directorate to Irrigation Dept
Thursday, 15/02/2018
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/proposal-to-shift-mining-directorate-to-irrigation-dept/544106.html
Chandigarh : A month after Rana Gurjit Singh resigned as Power and Irrigation Minister over the mining auction controversy, the state government plans to transfer the Directorate of Mining from the Department of Industries to the Irrigation Department.
The issue is to be discussed by the Council of Ministers here. A formal agenda regarding the transfer has been issued for tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting.
Official sources told The Tribune that the matter was discussed during a review meeting of the directorate with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh earlier this month. The official reason given for the move to transfer the directorate to the Irrigation Department is that a lot of mining activity is expected to be undertaken after sanction for environment clearance is obtained from the Centre. As many as 193 quarries will go under the hammer in a month or so.
A senior officer said: “The directorate is short of staff to deal with the checks and operations of the quarries. Even the measuring of the quarrying area, water flows etc. requires staff from the Irrigation Department to be requisitioned. Thus, it’s best that the directorate be merged into the department.”
