‘Cabinet to take final call on mining after studying panel report’

› It is my government’s aim to provide sand and gravel at affordable rates to people in a streamlined and transparent manner. AMARINDER SINGH, chief minister

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, on Monday, said the state cabinet would take a final decision on the recommendations made by the cabinet sub-committee on mining.

The report is expected to be taken up in the cabinet meeting scheduled on Tuesday.

Amarinder was speaking to the media after accepting the report of the sub-committee. Local government minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had handed over the report to the CM.

The sub-committee comprised Sidhu, finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, and rural development and panchayat minister, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa.

Reiterating his government’s commitment to ensuring total transparency in the mining business in the state, the CM said, “It is my government’s aim to provide sand and gravel at affordable rates to people in a streamlined and transparent manner.”

Sidhu said the committee held meetings and also conducted field visits to find that Punjab had stock of sand for 100 years and that of gravel for 170 years.

The committee has recommended the fixing of rate of sand at ₹1,000 per 100 cubic feet. One trolley has 100 cubic feet capacity weighing four tonne.

Sidhu said that the cabinet sub-committee had found that previously there was no fixed price for sand and the supply was also not adequate, due to which people were getting the commodity at exorbitant rates. He added that this needed to stop in the state.