Huge response to tenders floated below a clear mining coverage
CHANDIGARH: As a real testimony to the imaginative and prescient of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in making certain full transparency in Mining Operations, an enormous response has been witnessed within the Bids acquired for the tenders floated for working the Industrial Sand and Gravel Mines within the State.
Sharing these particulars, Mining and Geology Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, mentioned that the primary tender for working business sand and gravel mines with a complete annual amount of 68 Lakh MT of sand/gravel empty had been floated on www.eproc.punjab.gov.in and it has acquired an enormous response of 562 bids towards 14 mining clusters marketed. That is proof of the efforts of the Bhagwant Mann led state authorities to eradicate monopoly in mining operations by decreasing the scale of the Mining clusters and making them extra aggressive below a clear and progressive mining coverage.
Divulging additional, the Minister mentioned that earlier your complete state had been divided into simply seven clusters which had made your complete mining operation monopolistic and eradicated the smaller gamers as bidding for such clusters was solely potential by the massive mining sharks who loved monetary clout. This time, nonetheless, the state might be divided into 100 clusters which is able to make it extra aggressive thereby making low cost sand and gravel obtainable to the widespread man, he mentioned.
Adopting a authorized method, the state authorities has taken a principled resolution to finish all authorized formalities akin to approvals from the State Environmental Influence Evaluation Authority (SEIAA), and preparation of mining plans, earlier than floating any tender for any mining web site. Because of this your complete tender course of shall be undertaken in phases, unfold over the following three months, throughout which mines with a complete extractable amount of about 5 crore Tonnes of sand/gravel might be auctioned, he mentioned including that thus far two tenders for greater than 1 crore tonnes have already been issued and the third tender for 15-20 lakh tonnes might be issued within the subsequent couple of days.
Replying to a question concerning the process to be adopted for analysis of those Tenders, Meet Hayer mentioned {that a} multi-member committee, with a consultant of the Deputy Commissioner, has been constituted to judge all of the tenders in a clear method. Wherever there’s a tie within the monetary bids, the identical shall be resolved by means of draw of heaps, carried out in full public view with permission to the bidders to put in their very own cameras to document the proceedings. Media shall even be invited to this draw of heaps to make sure full transparency, he mentioned.
Commenting on the success of the 55 Public Mining Websites launched throughout the state, the Minister mentioned that Along with offering low cost ship to the general public, these websites have confirmed to be a boon for the native labour and village youth, who are actually incomes a wholesome earnings by means of their arduous work quite than whiling away their time and exposing themselves to the menace of medicine. To this point in simply 32 public mining websites, the labour has been in a position to earn greater than Rs. 5 crore whereas the native youth deploying tractor-trolleys are richer by greater than Rs 10 crore In simply two months since these websites began. Thus, the poor villagers have earned greater than Rs.15 crore in two months from simply 32 websites. At this price, as soon as the state authorities achieves its goal of commissioning 150 Public Mining Websites throughout the State, it will have ensured that 1000’s of Punjabis collectively earn Rs. 450 crore yearly by means of their trustworthy, arduous work of manually extracting sand and transporting it. That is in stark distinction to the interval of the sooner Governments when this cash was pocketed by the Mining and Transport Mafia working rampantly within the State, he added.
The Minister reiterated his dedication of offering sand and gravel at low cost charges to the individuals of Punjab.