- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Thu, 15 May 2025 05:08 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Mines and Geology Vijay Sinha has assured that all ongoing developmental projects in the state will be completed on schedule without any shortage of sand or other minerals. Speaking to the press at his office in Vikas Bhawan on Wednesday, Minister Sinha emphasised that if necessary, mineral leases will be granted directly to the concerned departments to ensure uninterrupted construction work.
He informed that currently, 180 sand ghats and 18 white sand ghats are operational under the Mines and Geology Department, facilitating continuous and regulated sand mining across the state. This year, authorities have seized 2.85 crore cubic feet of sand involved in illegal mining and transportation, which will be redistributed to the relevant departments following scheduled raids.
Minister Sinha also highlighted that after recent ghat auctions, 37 settlement holders surrendered their ghats due to bidding beyond estimated revenue capacities. In response, the government has decided to confiscate the advance payments of those surrendering ghats and blacklist them from future auctions.
Addressing concerns raised in the media about sand shortages, Minister Sinha announced a recent meeting with mining officials, directing that working departments be given the option to obtain direct mining leases as per their requirements to maintain steady progress in Bihar’s development projects. Several senior officials from the Mines and Geology Department were present during the press conference.
