JAMMU: Former Minister and J&K Apni Party, senior leader, Manjit Singh appealed Geology Mining Department and Civil Administration to review ban excavation from the river beds of Samba district. “The ban must be lifted atleast for locals because people who were earning from the mining at local level have become jobless, and material cost has escalated in view of ban on the excavation,” said Manjit Singh.
The former minister said that the locals have been rendered helpless even as Basantar, Devak Ravi and other rivers passing though the district. “Sand, Bajri, and stones which are excavated by the locals from the river bed not being permitted leading to unemployment among those who were engaged in this work. On other, the price of above said material has doubled in the district,” he said.
He said that construction work whether government or private has been affected due to the ban which needs to be reviewed and lifted for the benefits of the locals. Before lockdown, J&K Apni Party leader said, the Geology and Mining Department had imposed ban on the excavation from the rivers in Samba district. “The construction cost has escalated to double and it has gone out of poor people’s pocket to manage the construction work of their homes,” he added.
The J&K Apni Party leader appealed the Government to revisit the decision in the interest of the people who are left with no option. The tractor trolleys were in this business and unemployed youth were earning to feed their families, but they are left jobless in view of the ban. “The material is brought from outside the district and it has become unaffordable,” he said, adding that stone crashers associated with the business have also been suffering badly. The employees at the stone crashers facing unemployment, he claimed citing several examples.