KHAMMAM : Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (TSMDC) officials seized 16 lorries illegally transporting sand from Andhra Pradesh to Hyderabad via Bhadrachalam late on Wednesday.
Sources said the drivers told TSMDC officials that they were acting on the orders of the PA of a minister and demanding that the vehicles be released.
The TSMDC officials claimed that the police and other officials refused to cooperate with them. However, the district collector intervened, resulting in the police taking necessary action and the lorries being seized.
Huge demand for sand
Owing to the ban on the sale of sand from AP and sand reaches in Telangana staying closed, there is a huge demand for sand in Hyderabad and across the region, officials said. They added that a few people, with the support of TSMDC and police officials, have begun transporting sand illegally.
Officials also said that a few people are illegally transporting sand from Gundala Sand Reach, situated in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh. They added that the smugglers are evading payment of crores in royalties to the Telangana government. Jai Singh, the assistant director of mining in Kothagudem, said that a fee of Rs 250 per tonne of sand should be paid along with the requisite documentation.
Meanwhile, BJP leader A Subba Rao accused Kothagudem officials of being involved in corrupt activities.
He claimed that the assistant director of Mining department has a long history of corruption allegations, yet no action was taken against him during the BRS’ tenure.