New sand policy ditches tenders
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The state government has finally formulated the new sand policy which will be implemented for one year on an experimental basis. Mines minister G. Aruna Kumari told mediapersons that as per the new policy, sand reaches would be auctioned through a draw of lots in place of the existing tender system.
The government will fix a basic price of Rs 325 per cubic metre and the miner would be allowed to add a margin up to 20 per cent of the basic price only. A department officer will be stationed at the mine to ensure that the miner does not violate the basic price structure, she added. The government is also considering notifying the maximum price end users have to pay after calculating the transportation cost.
The minister said some of the reaches were already under the possession of miners and the government would give an option to them to either opt for the new policy or forego the sand mine. The government will refund the proportionate license fee, she said.
The ban on inter-state transportation will be strictly enforced and material and machinery will be confiscated in case of illegal transportation of sand. Beneficiaries of Indiram-ma houses will be allowed to obtain sand from the nearby reaches free of cost after producing the relevant documents. Sources said though the Cabinet sub-committee initially recommended allotting sand reaches to government agencies, the government preferred private sector handling the mining.
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