NewsKarnataka-Bangalore

Bangalore : State Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs TB Jayachandra has informed that the government has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation )Act  and has implemented the same.

He has also warned that  anyone caught engaged in sand smuggling  will  be slapped a penalty of up to Rs 25000 apart from two years of jail.

The gazette notification implementing the  sand policy aims at cracking down the sand mafia. Under the new policy, extracted sand from designated sand blocks would be dumped at spots fixed by the PWD, where it would be auctioned. While Assistant Commissioners will be assigned the duty of streamlining sand mining in the taluks, deputy commissioners would have to do it in the districts.

He also informed that  earth moving machines will not be allowed to extract sand and the time for sand mining would be from 10 am to 6 pm.

The minister further informed that the State government would take steps to fill the over one lakh vacancies in lower level posts in various departments of the state government.

The decision on whether to fill the posts through Public Service Commission or on the basis of merit  or roster system, would be taken very soon, he said.