Summary:
Real-time monitoring to curb black-marketingCHANDIGARH: The Punjab government on Wednesday announced a new policy to rein in the politically volatile sand and gravel sector. Online auction of sand mines had triggered a political storm last year after then cabinet minister Rana Gurjit Singh was accused of putting up proxies in the auction. The maximum rates linked to distance that can be charged per cubic feet for transportation will be notified later.Under the new policy sand will be sold online to all consumers, small or medium. This includes cost of loading these on the vehicle.Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s suggestion of constituting a corporation for the sector has been shot down. The online real-time monitoring system is expected to capture all transactions and not allow black-marketing..