Punjab decides to create separate department of mining & Geology
The Punjab government has decided to hive Mining and Geology from the Department of Industries and Commerce and set it up as a separate unit to ensure sustainable development of the sector, which is witnessing fast-paced development and has emerged as a major contributor to the state’s revenue. The move will entail no additional monetary burden for the state since the cadre of the new department, which will have 598 employees, will be drawn from the Water Resources Department, an official spokesperson said after the cabinet meeting. The cabinet noted that with expansion of mining activities, there were growing environmental, administrative and legal, as well as marketing and financial challenges, which required special focus on mining activities. This had become even more important with the introduction of the progressive bidding regime, which had led to the mining sector emerging as a significant contributor to the state’s revenues. The cabinet accepted the suggestion of the meeting, held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary on February 2,that mining be separated from industrial activities. It agreed that the Industries and Commerce Department was seriously constrained in overseeing the mining segment in view of the limited manpower allocated to mining activities and also its growing focus on industrial promotion and business development, as per the state government’s thrust under the new industrial policy. -PTC News
