VIJAYAWADA: Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy has directed the officials to increase the supply of sand to one lakh metric tonnes a day from the present 35,000 metric tonnes to end sand scarcity in the State.
Addressing joint collectors and mining department officials at a workshop on the new sand policy held in the State Secretariat on Saturday, the minister underscored the need for better coordination between joint collectors and officials of the Mines department for hassle-free mining and supply of sand.
Stating that the floods in rivers for the past three months affected excavation of sand, he suggested the officials to lay focus on sand mining on pattadar lands.
Many farmers have submitted applications in several districts expressing their willingness to give pattadar land to the Andhra Pradesh Mining Development Corporation (APMDC) for sand mining, the minister said and instructed the officials to clear the same and take up sand mining at the earliest.
The State government on Friday issued orders enhancing the rate to Rs 100 from the existing Rs 60 per cubic metre of sand mined in pattadar lands.
While rolling out the new sand policy in the first week of September, the government fixed the price payable to owners for sand mined in pattadar lands at Rs 60 per cubic metre. The price had been increased to encourage pattadars to give their lands for sand mining.
Peddireddy also directed the officials to take up desilting of reservoirs and other water resources so as to increase the storage capacity of reservoirs and supply of sand.
Assuring to give permission for tractors at first, second and third grade reaches in order to ease the system, the minister told the officials to utilise the services of village secretariat employees at reaches to simplify the online process.
Instructing the officials to give priority for locals in sand supply, the minister suggested to the officials to reserve some quantity of sand for supplying to the locals, who applied online.