Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the Supreme Court’s delay in the decision has led to an increase in the cases of illegal sand mining in the state.
The apex court has taken four years in vacating the stay on gravel mining, he said.
“Common people had to suffer due to this and had to pay a whopping Rs 20,000 to 25,000 for the gravel which costs only Rs 5,000,” he said.
While addressing the media in Pali, Gehlot said he was saddened by the inconvenience people had to face by purchasing gravel at a higher price for construction.
Replying to the allegations of the opposition on the increase in crime and corruption in the state, Gehlot said the cases are on the rise because the Rajasthan government has made the FIRs in such cases compulsory along with mobilising the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).
“There is no spurt in corruption in the state. We are catching corrupt government employees constantly. The ACB is active in the state so it appears that corruption has increased,” he said.
Further justifying the recent decision of the ACB chief to keep the identity of the trapped person concealed until he or she was convicted by the court, Gehlot said that in many cases, there are false alligations against officers.
“We have taken this decision so that the officer does not have to face humiliation until proven guilty,” Gehlot said.
Terming the frequent incident of paper leaks in the state a “disease”, he said the government would not hesitate to conduct examinations to ensure jobs for the youth.
Gehlot said that the Special Operations Group (SOG) has done a commendable investigation in the paper leak case.
“The agency has caught the accused,” the chief minister said, adding his government will continue to hold recruitment exams irrespective of the incidents of paper leaks.
