Punjab govt orders sealing of all crushers in Ropar’s Kheda Kalmot

Chandigarh, April 21: The Punjab Government on Thursday issued orders to seal all crushers at Kheda Kalmot in Ropar district. The decision was taken at a meeting of Punjab Mining Minister Harjot Bains with officials of the Mining Department on Thursday. The crushers at Kheda Kalmot in Ropar district have been sealed for their failure to submit their fee to the government. Also read | UK Prime Minister visits Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad Harjot Bains said he would not tolerate any corruption in the department. Earlier, he had said illegal mining in Punjab should be discouraged and in spite of warnings, if there were cases coming to the notice of the authorities, the respective SSP would be held responsible. He had written a letter to all Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and SSPs on this matter. The issue of illegal mining was taken up by all parties in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly elections. Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal had alleged Rs 20,000 crore theft of sand in Punjab and demanded an investigation against former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi. He had demanded that an FIR should be lodged against the former CM over large scale illegal mining in his constituency Chamkaur Sahib. Notably, Bhupinder Singh Honey, nephew of former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, is also facing charges for illegal sand mining. Also read | Surge in Covid-19 cases unlikely to cause fourth wave in India, says expert -PTC News