Jakhar: Why starting only one quarry?
Monday, 17/11/2014
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=118917&boxid=58077&uid=&dat=2014-11-17
Jalandhar : Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Sunil Jakhar on Sunday questioned the ruling SAD-BJP government for starting only one quarry in Hoshiarpur district for providing sand at lower prices to the public.
Jakhar asked the Badal government that why a lone quarry at Dgana Khurd village in Hoshiarpur was started for providing sand at cheaper rates whereas the Central government had given clearance to start 37 A-Category mines in the state.
Recently, Industries and Commerce Minister Madan Mohan Mittal had launched this project in Hoshiarpur district and announced that the rest of the quarries would also be made functional soon. At present, sand was excavated, lifted and retailed only from Hoshiarpur district, hence adding the lifting costs to far off places.
In Jalandhar for Sri Ram Naumi Utsav Committee function of Hind Samachar Group, on Sunday, Jakhar said that during the Cabinet meeting, the SAD-BJP leadership had announced that 37 A-Category quarries would be started soon.
“Now, the current rates were fixed at Rs 800 per 100 cubic feet, which would increase the sand prices to Rs 8,000 per trolley. It was nothing short of rubbing salt on the wounds of the public with false promises,” he said.
Addressing a press conference, Jakhar said that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had met Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on June 13 and got the clearance to start the quarries in Punjab. “If the clearance was given, then why was government delaying the starting of other quarries in the state?” he questioned.
Jakhar said that though the SAD-BJP government had been claiming that the previous UPA government never gave environment clearance, however the fact was that the then Congress government had cited that quarries in 25 hectares of area did not require any clearance and should continue.
“But the Badal government ended up blaming the UPA government and let the sand mafia rule the roost in Punjab with the Akali government backing,” he said.
“It is for this reason that now the SAD and the BJP leadership was at loggerheads and blaming each other for sand mafia in the state,” he maintained.
