‘Sand mafia harassing tractor-trolley owners’

She alleged that illegal sand dumps had been made on the forest land of Punjab by the sand mafia where the sand, which is being transported from adjoining Himachal Pradesh (HP) area, is being sold at five times the actual rate.

In Punjab, even as there is ban on mining till September 30, the sand is being transported Himachal to Punjab in Garhshankar area. Trucks, Trailers and tractor-trolleys owners were transporting it to Punjab to meet the needs here. But in the recent past, the Punjab police, which has a police naka at the boundary of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, has started harassing the tractor-trolley owners and stopping them entering in Himachal on the pretext of one or other document pertaining to their vehicle. Only big trucks and trailers are allowed to transport the sand from Himachal, they said.”

“The reason is that in Himachal we are getting a trolley of sand for Rs 800 and proper receipt is being also provided for the same. We sell the same in Punjab for Rs 1,500-1,600 after meeting fuel and other charge”,” said a tractor-trolley owner. “ “They are forcing us to purchase the same sand, which their big trucks and trailer are transporting from HP and dumping illegally on forest land of Punjab, from their dump at the rate of Rs 3,000 to 4,000 per trolley”. “We can’t afford such high rates and even if some are purchasing , they have no other option but to sell it at the rate of around Rs 4,500 per trolley to the consumer,” said another.

Mehta said that Captain Amarinder Singh had already made clear his zero tolerance approach to corruption and said no illegal mining would be allowed. She claimed that being a Congress leader, she herself exposed such illegal activities but it was under SAD-BJP rule, the reverse was true.

Hoshiarpur SSP J Elanchezhian sai”, “If tractor-trolley owners face any issue with the police naka, they should approach the local DSP or of Garhshakar as well as my office but no one came with any complaint to m”. “I got the information through media today only and will look into “t,” he said, adding that nothing illegal would be permitted.