Andhra Pradesh: Free sand policy to be implemented again in three months

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Mines and Geology Kollu Ravindra has said the free sand policy will be brought back in three months, and sand will be henceforth supplied to the people free of cost.

Speaking to mediapersons at the State Secretariat on Wednesday, Kollu said, “Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is determined to bail out the construction sector from crisis by reintroducing the free sand policy as lakhs of people are dependent on it for their livelihood.”

Modalities for the supply of sand free of cost will be finalised in another three months, and the policy will be evolved in a foolproof manner, he said.

Lambasting the previous YSRC regime for its irrelevant sand policy, which hit 40 different sectors dependent on construction industry, besides rendering lakhs of people jobless, he said the technical issues that may arise to discontinue the previous policy will be looked into. In view of the rainy season, mining in sand reaches is not possible till September. Hence, the total quantum of sand available in both legal and illegal stock points in the State will be assessed, and the construction material will be supplied to the people free of cost.

The sand requirement for the next three months has been estimated at 1 crore tonnes.