HYDERABAD: The High court asked the advocate-general on Thursday to inform it by Friday whether the state-owned AP Mineral Development Corporation could step in to supply sand without the involvement of a middleman for the ongoing Godavari delta modernisation works.
A division bench comprising chief justice Madan B Lokur and justice PV Sanjay Kumar wanted to know APMDC’s position while dealing with a petition filed by RSV Constructions Pvt Ltd and G Dorayya & Co.
The petitioners contended that they were not in a position to execute the delta modernisation works due to non-availability of sand. The works were taken up by the government after announcing crop holiday in the delta area for Rabi season and the works had to be completed prior to commencement of the Kharif season in June. Intervening, the bench stage wanted advocate-general A Sudarshan Reddy to ascertain whether the APMDC could step in to supply sand for these works.
The court had, on March 23, granted stay on sand mining and auction of sand reaches in the state with effect from April 1 on the ground that the authorities failed to prevent illegal sand mining in rivers by private contractors.