CHAMARAJANAGAR: Karnataka Mines and Geology Minister C C Patil on Tuesday said that a new sand policy is on the cards, which will be implemented in the state soon. Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, the minister said that the new policy will be people-friendly. It envisages the sale of sand at the Gram Panchayat level in three phases, and the public can purchase it for their use.
“Our aim is to make one tonne of sand available for Rs 300-350,” he said. In the next three stages or grades, the extraction of sand and sale (where sand is abundantly available) will be carried out by Mysore Minerals Limited, while the other half by the Hutti Gold Mines Company. Patil added that a draft of the new sand policy was already ready and had to be implemented. “
But the Covid-19 pandemic delayed it , ” he mentioned. He further revealed that soon a drone survey will be carried out across the state to identify mining activities, and two to three companies have been identified for the same with a tender process in this regard under way.