PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said no more sand mining licences would be issued and publicly told Police Commissioner (ag) Clifton Hicken and Deputy Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus that they could switch plans from sand mining to agriculture.
“Let me make it clear that the Government of Guyana has put a hold on all sand pits on the Highway,” Jagdeo yesterday told a news conference at PPP Headquarters on Robb Street. He said he learned of the two senior cops’ sand pit applications through the press but they would not be allowed.
Hicken’s and Brutus’ names appeared in an Environmental Protection Agency notice concerning their plans to mine and sell sand.
Jagdeo, also Vice President, ruled out sand mining licences being issued to those senior police officers and anyone else.
He said government would go ahead and open more pits to help push down the sand price. Large amounts of sand are being extracted on a daily basis to feed the construction demand.
Jagdeo said there are 200 pending sand mining licences.
