Congress will make sand free for people after forming government in 2027 : Raja Warring

Congress will make sand free for people after forming government in 2027 : Raja Warring

RAJA WARRING’S BIG PROMISE: FREE SAND FOR PUNJAB

Congress will make legally sourced sand FREE for genuine public use after forming government in 2027

Chandigarh 8 August ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : 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. 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.

*Punjab di ret, Punjab de lokan layi*

Warring 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.

*A DIRECT BENEFIT FOR EVERY PUNJABI*

Warring said the scheme would have an impact far beyond the price of sand. 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. “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 said 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.

*FROM ‘MINING REVENUE’ TO ‘PEOPLE’S RESOURCE’*

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. He said the Congress would offer Punjab a fundamentally different model. “AAP looked at Punjab’s sand and saw government revenue. Congress looks at Punjab’s sand and sees the homes of our families, the roads of our villages, the schools of our children and the jobs of our workers.”

*NO FREE HAND TO THE MINING MAFIA*

Warring made it clear that ‘Punjab Da Ret Haq’ does not mean a free-for-all in mining. The Congress government would establish a transparent, technology-driven sand management system, including:

* Digital permits and transparent allocation

* GPS-based monitoring of authorised transportation

* Real-time monitoring of mining sites

* Strict limits on legal extraction

* Strong environmental safeguards

* Action against illegal mining and unauthorised transportation

* Priority access for genuine household and public construction needs

“Free sand will never mean free licence to destroy Punjab’s rivers. We will protect the environment while ensuring that Punjab’s resources serve Punjab’s people,” Warring said. He said the Congress government would take strict action against anyone involved in illegal mining, regardless of political connections or influence.

*A SCHEME FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS, THE POOR, FARMERS AND WORKERS*

Warring said the biggest beneficiaries of the initiative would be the people who feel the rising cost of construction most directly. “A Punjabi family saving thousands of rupees while building its home is not a small thing. A government school being constructed at a lower cost is not a small thing. A village road being built for less money is not a small thing. Multiply that across Punjab and you have a major economic transformation,” he said. He said the scheme would also stimulate the local construction economy and create additional opportunities for masons, labourers, truck operators and small contractors.

*‘PUNJAB DA RET HAQ’ — A NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT*

Warring said the proposed scheme would represent a new understanding between the government and the people of Punjab. “The resources of Punjab cannot be the private property of a few. Punjab belongs to its people, and its natural wealth must work for its people.” He said the Congress would follow a simple principle: Punjab’s natural resources should reduce the burden on Punjab’s people. Calling the 2027 Assembly elections a choice between two models of governance, Warring said: “One model asks how much revenue can be extracted from Punjab. Our model asks how much relief can be delivered to Punjab’s families.” He said the Congress would take the promise of ‘Punjab Da Ret Haq’ to every village, town and city of the state. “In 2027, the people of Punjab will decide. We will give them a government that does not look at them as a source of revenue, but as the rightful owners of Punjab’s future.”

Warring concluded: “Punjab di ret, Punjab de lokan layi. Punjab da paisa, Punjab de vikas layi. Punjab de kudrati srot, Punjab de har parivaar di bhalai layi.”