Saifullah Khan, etc. Petitioners have filed this petition against the Collector, Bahawalpur etc., the respondents for issuance of a direction to fix the rate for the sale of ordinary sand extracted from the bed of river Satluj which has been leased out/contracted to Muhammad Bashir, respondent No.4.
2. The relevant comments are filed by the Secretary to the Government of Punjab, Industries and Mineral Development Department, respondent No.5. He has submitted that the Punjab Government has not exercised the powers under the Punjab Minor Minerals Concession Rules, 1990. These Rules have been framed under sections Nos.2 and 5 of the Regulation of Mines and Oil-- Fields and Mineral Development (Government Control) Act, 1948. Under the Act and the rules the Government may fix the price but it is an enabling provision and not mandatory and so does not enure for the benefit of the petitioners or for that matter any citizen to claim that the rate, in any case, must be fixed.
3. There is no force in the writ petition which stands dismissed.