Commercial sites will also provide sand @ Rs 5.50 per cubic foot - Meet Hayer

Says, Punjab government to start 250 sites by July

Lays foundation stone of Sivian distributary at village Sekha Kalan at a cost of Rs 13.50 crore

Baghapurana (Moga), March 4: Water Resources, Mining, Governance Reforms and Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Saturday announced that soon Rs 5.50 per cubic foot of sand will also be available from 100 commercial sites of the state. He said that all the sites were being tendered afresh during the month of March. He was addressing a huge gathering of people at village Sekha Kalan before laying the foundation stone for Sivian distributary at a cost of Rs 13.50 crore.

Meet Hayer said that the aim of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab government was to make 250 sites operational by July this year, of which 100 sites will be commercial and 150 sites will be of the public sector. He said that currently 16 government sites have been commissioned across the state and 32 more sites would be operational in March. He said that in order to stop the illegal trade and black market of sand, the Punjab government has divided the 7 blocks of the state into 100 blocks.

The minister further said that promoting agriculture and providing water to every farm is the top priority of the Punjab government. He said that lining work is being done across the state by spending Rs 500 crore rupees. He said that earlier the farmer had to pay 10 percent for this work, but now the government would bear 100 percent of the cost. He announced that the work of Bagha distributary would also start next year. Apart from this, he also announced the opening of a new facility in Baghapurana.

Meet Hayer said that farmers were being consulted for the new agricultural policy and this policy is not being drafted while sitting in AC rooms. He said that MSP is being given on moong and Rs 1500 per acre is being given for direct sowing of rice to bring agricultural diversification. He appealed to the farmers to save water.

Earlier thanking the Punjab Government and the Minister, MLA Mr. Amritpal Singh Sukhanand said that Sivian distributary was a long-pending demand of the people, which has been fulfilled today. He said that it will directly benefit 18 villages of the area and 21 thousand acres of land will get irrigation facility which was earlier limited to 14 thousand acres only.

Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora, MLA Moga, Deepak Arora, Chairman Nagar Improvement Trust Moga, Mr. Harmandeep Singh Brar, Chairman District Planning Board and others also addressed the gathering. On this occasion, Mr. Devinderjit Singh Ladi Dhons, MLA Dharamkot, SDM Mr. Ram Singh and Mr. Shammi Kumar, Chief Engineer Water Resources Department were also present.

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