VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will launch the Andhra Pradesh Sand Management System (sand portal) on Thursday to implement the free sand policy in the State in a full-fledged manner. In a release issued on Wednesday, Principal Secretary (Mines and Geology) Mukesh Kumar Meena said the government will only collect GST, seigniorage, maintenance and other charges from consumers as part of the free sand policy and it will not get any revenue from it.
Asserting that the free sand policy will be implemented in a transparent manner, he said consumers can get their doubts cleared by visiting the sand portal. “There is no need for consumers to go anywhere to book sand. They can approach the village/ward secretariats to book the construction material. Booking will be allowed only through the secretariats from 10.30 am to 12 pm and anyone can book sand from anywhere from 12 pm to 5 pm after uploading the required documents to the portal. The sand booking will be regulated depending on the availability of sand and transportation facility,” Meena explained.
“No one right from the officials to the transporters can escape for any of their wrongdoings in implementation of the free sand policy as the sand portal will help keep a constant vigil on the supply of construction material,” the Principal Secretary said.
The details of district-wise supply points, transportation charges and availability of sand will be made available on the portal. The movement of trucks transporting sand will be tracked through the GPS to prevent truckers from charging more money from consumers.
Registered and verified vehicles will only be used for the transportation of sand, and the timings of the vehicles reaching the loading point, and the time of delivery of sand to consumers will be informed at the time of booking.
There will be uniform transportation charges across the State and implemented on the basis of km in all the regions, he elaborated.
Consumers can lodge their complaints if the face any inconvenience in getting sand at toll free number 1800-599-4599 and dmgapsandcomplaints@ yahoo.com. Prompt action will be taken on every complaint and information will be given to the complainants from the district collectorate concerned, he added