Punjab government orders sealing all crushers in Ropar’s Kheda Kalmot

Ruchika M Khanna
Chandigarh, April 21

In a major development, the Punjab government has ordered the sealing of all crushers in Kheda Kalmot in Ropar district.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of mining minister Harjot Bains with the officials of mining department on Thursday. The crushers have been sealed for their failure to submit their fees to the government.

Harjot Bains said that he would not tolerate any corruption in the department and is working to ensure that sand and gravel are made available at concessional rates.

The contract for this quarry was given to a Jammu-based sand contractor. Sources say that he not only extracted sand and gravel from the actual quarry, but began extracting gravel from the hillocks as well. As a result, the base of the hills have been cut, posing a threat to the area’s ecology.