Chandigarh, June 5: Embroiled in a row over his former employees bagging sand mining contracts through high bids running into crores of rupees, minister Rana Gurjit Singh’s own irrigation department is showing rather keen interest in mining in just two months of the new government coming to power. This when silt is deposited on riverbeds after the rains.
In a letter issued by chief engineer, drainage, in first week of May before the 102 mines went for e-auction in Punjab — a copy of which is with HT — the superintendent engineers of Amritsar, Ferozepur, Patiala and Jalandhar circles have been asked to identify new sites for “desilting and use and disposal of sand”.
The Saidpur, Mehadipur and Behloor Khurd mines in Nawanshahr bagged by firms of Rana’s “former” employees Amit Bahadur for Rs 26 crore, Kulvinder Paul for Rs 9 crore and one Ajitpal Singh Gill for Rs 23 crore, respectively, as partners of firms of the ministers close friend Capt JS Randhawa’s family, fall in the Jalandhar circle.
Interestingly, the letter adds that the identification of new sites should be done on a “priority basis” and they should coordinate with the mining department to get permits for the new sites as well as the 46 sites that have been identified by the department. The letter adds that permits for 17 sites have already been applied for.
While it cites that “sand recovered from desilting will be used for strengthening bandhs on rivers”, it goes on to add that “excess sand and river bed material will be disposed of after taking permit from the mining department”. The mining department is part of the industries department, which is under chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com
