In a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, the Leader of Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Wednesday accused the state administration of presiding over rampant illegal mining, alleging it was not merely a governance failure but a systematic loot conducted with the active connivance of those in power.
Broken Promises and Flourishing Mafia
Bajwa reminded the public that ahead of the crucial 2022 assembly elections, the AAP had made grand promises to crush the mining mafia and generate nearly Rs 20,000 crore annually through a clean and transparent mining framework. "Four years later, these promises lie in tatters," he stated. "What we see today is the complete opposite — illegal mining flourishing openly, unchecked and emboldened."
The senior Congress leader pointed to a glaring discrepancy in Ropar district as concrete evidence. He highlighted the shocking mismatch between the negligible number of officially authorised mining sites and the large number of operational stone crushers. "This disparity itself conclusively establishes that illegal mining is being carried out on a massive scale," Bajwa asserted.
Allegations of Political Patronage and CM's Responsibility
Bajwa left no room for ambiguity, directly implicating the highest levels of the state government. "Such an organised operation cannot survive without active political patronage and administrative collusion. This loot is happening in broad daylight, not covertly," he alleged.
He squarely held Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann responsible for the continuing crisis. "When illegal mining continues unabated right under the nose of the CM it is no longer incompetence. It is a clear case of wilful inaction and active connivance with the mining mafia," Bajwa charged.
Ecological and Financial Devastation
The Qadian legislator issued a grave warning about the severe consequences of unchecked mining. He said it was devastating Punjab's rivers, groundwater levels, agricultural land, and ecological balance. Simultaneously, he accused the illegal operations of bleeding the state exchequer of thousands of crores of rupees.
"Money that should have gone into schools, hospitals, and jobs is instead lining the pockets of mafias protected by the ruling establishment," Bajwa claimed, framing the issue as a direct theft from the people of Punjab.
Demands for Action and a Call to Fight
To address the crisis, Partap Singh Bajwa laid out a set of immediate demands:
- A high-level, time-bound judicial inquiry into all mining activities since 2022.
- Strict action against complicit officials and political functionaries.
- Immediate suspension of those enabling illegal operations.
- Implementation of real-time monitoring, transparent auctioning, and stringent enforcement to reclaim control over Punjab's natural resources.
Concluding his attack, Bajwa said, "Punjab was sold slogans of honesty and change. What it got instead is a govt that has surrendered to mafias." He vowed that the Congress party would continue to expose this betrayal and fight relentlessly to protect the state's resources, environment, and the rule of law.
