Participants deposit cash at the auction of sand quarries in Ludhiana on Monday.
— Photo by Inderjit Verma |
Ludhiana, March 31
Supporters of Punjab minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia and Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon bagged most mining sites along the Sutlej at the auction of sand quarries falling in 65 villages of this district here today. The auction fetched the government a revenue of Rs 10.02 crore, against Rs 1.64 crore in the last auction five years ago.
The district has fetched the highest revenue in the state in auction of sand quarries this time.
Hundreds of licensees, accompanied by their supporters, carrying bags and briefcases full of currency notes, swarmed the Punjab Trade Centre in the morning. Heavy police deployment was made at the centre.
The auction continued for over six-and-a-half hours as bidders quoted a prices multiple times higher than the reserve price.
Among the sites that generated maximum revenue were Hambran (Rs 1.78 crore against a reserve price of Rs 11 lakh), followed by Noorpur bet that went for Rs 1.22 crore and Dhanansu village that was auctioned for Rs 1.05 crore. A large number of new participants, including many who could not get liquor vends at the draw of lots held this year, participated in the bidding.
More than 120 bidders submitted their applications. As no bidders came forward for the first two village, Choorwal and Boor, auction for these sites was deferred for a while. It was during the auction of the third site, village Kutbewal Arian, that the atmosphere got charged and various groups of bidders, including Manpreet Singh, a supporter of Majithia, and others came forward. In case of the 18.46-acre site in Dhansu village, for which the reserve price was Rs 11 lakh, Naresh Sharma quoted Rs 1.01 crore. The opposite party demanded that he showed the money. This was followed by altercations and resistance from the Sharma
group.
Later, officials threatened that he would declare the party as defaulter following which both parties produced the cash, and the auction process was re-started.
Bidders were highly enthusiastic as the open auction took place after five years. “Last time Capt Amarinder Singh did not even let us enter the venue but this time it is an open auction,” said liquor baron Mann Singh Garcha.
These quarries are situated along the Sutlej and the business involves high stakes.
The groups, that clashed during auctions at other districts, particularly in Patiala, reached a compromise in the case of Ludhiana, following which the bidding continued peacefully, said sources.
