Illegal stone crushers: Sukhu pins blame on Jai Ram regime
Chief minister Sukhu questioned the negligence of the BJP administration, allowing these crushers to operate unchecked and inflict substantial losses on the state exchequer
: Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu alleged that the previous BJP government had turned a blind eye to unauthorised stone crushers operating without permission or mining leases, inflicting a loss of ₹50-100 crore to the state exchequer.
Terming illegal stone crushers as a scam, the chief minister questioned the negligence of the BJP administration, allowing these crushers to operate unchecked and inflict substantial losses on the state exchequer.
A high power committee, headed by industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, in its report disclosed that out of 131 stone crushers in the Beas basin, only 63 possessed the requisite permissions to operate legally.
The Industries department received a directive to facilitate the resumption of crusher operations strictly for those with valid permissions and active mining leases. Simultaneously, a comprehensive inquiry was mandated to identify crushers operating without proper mining leases or with expired or cancelled leases. This investigation aims to ascertain the extent of royalty evasion, ensuring that the state can recover the dues from the culpable defaulters.
