Chandigarh, August 8
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today announced a major people-centric initiative under which a future Congress government in Punjab will make legally sourced sand available free of cost for genuine household and public construction needs, turning Punjab’s natural resources into a direct benefit for its people. He said that to be implemented after the Congress forms the government in 2027, the proposed ‘Punjab Da Ret Haq’ Scheme will aim to bring down construction costs for ordinary Punjabis, support employment and accelerate development across the state.
Warring said Punjab’s rivers and natural resources should not become a means of enriching a handful of powerful interests. They must become an economic resource that benefits ordinary families and helps build a stronger Punjab. He said the Congress government would change the fundamental approach towards sand mining in Punjab. “Sand is not a luxury. It is needed to build a house, repair a home, construct a school, build a road, lay a drain and create infrastructure. If Punjab has this natural resource, why should an ordinary Punjabi be forced to pay an excessive price for it?” he said.
Under the proposed scheme, legally extracted sand would be made available without the usual material cost for genuine eligible public and construction requirements, subject to a transparent, technology-driven system to prevent misuse.
The initiative would particularly benefit ordinary families constructing or repairing their homes, farmers undertaking necessary construction, small contractors, labourers and public infrastructure projects.
“When construction becomes cheaper, families can build and repair their homes at lower cost. When infrastructure becomes cheaper, more roads, drains, schools, hospitals and public facilities can be built with the same public money. Increased construction activity will also benefit masons, labourers, electricians, plumbers, transporters, small contractors and other workers,” he added.
“Our aim is not simply to make sand cheaper. Our aim is to make life cheaper and development faster for the people of Punjab,” Warring said. He remarked the initiative would form part of a larger Congress vision in which Punjab’s natural resources would be used for public welfare, employment generation and economic growth, rather than being treated merely as a source of government revenue.
Taking aim at the Aam Aadmi Party government, Warring said the AAP had entered the 2022 elections with huge promises regarding Punjab’s mining sector. “AAP had claimed that mining could generate ₹20,000 crore annually, and had projected around ₹1 lakh crore in five years, with the money supposedly going towards health, education and public welfare. Four years later, the people of Punjab have every right to ask: where is that promised transformation?” Warring said.