AAP fails to curb illegal mining, Bajwa doubts AAP leadership involvement

Chandigarh, February 7

Accusing the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab of turning a deaf ear to illegal mining, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Friday alleged that the possibility of AAP leadership’s involvement in illegal mining cannot be ruled out.

“The cases of illegal mining have been multiplied after the AAP got hold of power. All the media organisations have reported such incidents from time to time. In a recent case, illegal mining has been observed going on in full swing day and night at the Banur Canal Dam in Zirakpur (Derabassi) in the guise of desilting work. Earlier the incidents of illegal mining came to the fore in the Baba Bakala of Amritsar and many other districts of Punjab. However, no action was taken by the government,” Bajwa added.

Senior Congress Leader Bajwa said that only a couple of weeks back, Punjab Lokpal Justice Vinod K Sharma (retired) issued a show-cause notice to AAP minister Barinder Kumar Goyal and Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) chairman Prof Dr Adarsh Pal Vig for the failure of the government machinery to stop illegal mining in the Mohali district. The AAP government appeared to have least bothered about acting on the same.

“It was AAP’s one of the main election rhetorics to end the illegal mining in the Punjab. It even vowed to raise revenue of Rs 20000 annually from mining. In three years, it should have earned Rs 60000 crore in revenue. Yet, it remained inefficient to curb illegal mining and earn the aforementioned revenue. It seems the AAP or its leadership directly or indirectly indulged in illicit mining for monetary benefits.

Seeking a free and fair judicial probe, Bajwa said that the Punjab government machinery including police, administration, and bureaucracy has been working either under the influence or pressure of the AAP leadership. Therefore, illegal mining cases should be investigated by a committee headed by a retired or sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.