The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for its failure to use technical mechanisms to keep check on the rampant illegal mining in the state.
“Even though, it was one of the main election commitments of the AAP to rein in the illegal mining in the state and earn Rs 20000 crore from the mining. However, in its two years of the regime, it could neither earn Rs 20000 crore mining nor did it end the illegal mining”, Bajwa added.
Senior Congress Leader, Bajwa said that in its annual review of the working of public works divisions for the financial year 2022-23, the Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG) said the Punjab State Sand and Gravel Mining Policy, 2018, required and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the use of geo-tagging, geo-fencing and electronic surveillance to check illegal mining, but a test check of records of in three drainage divisions showed that the technology was not used by the water resources department to detect and check illegal mining.
“Instead of squandering Punjab’s exchequer on party expansion, fake publicity, air travel and pursuing bogus Delhi models, the AAP government should develop the technical know-how to rein in the widespread illegal mining. The AAP government elicited condemnations from the Punjab and Haryana High Cout, and the Union Ministry of Defense because of unchecked illegal mining in the state”, Bajwa added.
