VIJAYAWADA: Asserting that the State government is taking every initiative to ensure more transparency and accountability in implementing the new sand policy, Mines and Geology Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said that though the sand mafia attempted to dilute the policy in the beginning, the government thwarted it by taking necessary steps.
In a statement issued here on Monday, the minister maintained that the government is extending better services to customers by overcoming all the hurdles coming in the way of implementation of the new sand policy.
Stating that sand is being directly door delivered to customers making online booking through the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation, he said sand is being transported in lorries and tippers registered with the APMDC. As customers also pay transportation charges at the time of booking sand, there is no need to pay extra money to transporters, he said and warned that stern action will be taken against transporters if they demand additional charges from customers.
He daid that as all the vehicles transporting sand are fitted with GPS devices, every movement of the vehicle along with the time it left from the stock point and time of delivering sand to customers get registered online. Officials sitting in the APMDC control point also track the movement of vehicles to check illegal sale of sand.
This apart, checkposts have been arranged to avert black marketing of sand. The Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) has intensified raids to curb smuggling of sand by the mafia.