Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today said the people of the state had voted the party to power to get rid of the erstwhile SAD-BJP government's 10 years of "misrule".  

The Amarinder Singh-led government would fulfil the expectations of the people soon, they said in a joint statement here. The Congress leaders asserted that the time of illegal activities was over in the state and that the rule of law was in force.  

They also said the chief minister had already directed the officials concerned to take stringent action against illegal mining and tax evasion in the state.  

The government had ordered special multi-departmental teams to be formed, which would be headed by the respective deputy commissioners in all the districts, the Congress leaders pointed out, adding that the teams would take immediate action against illegal mining and tax evasion.  

Jakhar said, "During the (2017) Assembly election, we had promised to the people of the state that sand and gravel would be provided at cheaper rates and that all illegal activities would be prohibited."  

He added that the chief minister had yesterday clarified that the government would not tolerate any lapse in this regard.  

The Gurdaspur MP asserted that the government was very serious about tackling the illegal mining menace and added that no one involved in it would be spared. PTI