Punjab Govt to recover Rs 1,000 crore from mining contractors: Mining Minister Harjot Singh Bains

Tribune News Service

Ropar, June 30

Mining Minister Harjot Singh Bains today told the House the state government would recover Rs 1,000 crore from contractors found guilty of illegal sand mining in Ropar district.

Bains, who was replying to a question raised by Ropar MLA Dinesh Chadha, also assured the Assembly that a study would be conducted to assess the damage caused by illegal mining to natural resources and ecology of the state.

“Action will be taken against the accused within 20 days. A chargesheet has already been issued to district mining officers and two general managers in the Ropar case,” said the minister.

The NGT had, on July 10, 2020, asked the Punjab State Pollution Control Board to recover Rs 632 crore from the contractors found guilty of illegal sand mining at Swarra, Harsa Bela, and Baihara in Ropar district.

With the passage of time, this amount with interest had increased to Rs 1,000 crore, said Chadha.

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