The Andhra Pradesh state government would keep the sand reaches open from October 15, said Minister for Mines, Kollu Ravindra. Speaking to media persons in Amaravati on Monday, the Minister said that the reaches were closed because of the directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT had directed the states to stop sand mining during the rainy season, the Minister said.
The Minister further said that the state government is now ready with the plan to supply sand free of cost to the people. The government is looking at promoting construction activity in the state and thus earn some revenue to the state exchequer, the minister said.
He said that the sand reaches were identified and the machinery for the mining was set ready at the reaches. The free sand was stopped for the time being and would be open on October 15, the minister said. He said that the government would charge only the loading and transportation charges from the people.
The Minister also said that the government would allow people to take sand from rivers, rivulets and streams by bullock carts. The people can take any amount of sand using bullock cart, the minister said. However, those who engage trucks would have to pay the transportation charges, the Minister said.
He alleged that the previous government headed by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had seen sand as a source of revenue. The Jagan Mohan Reddy government had exploited sand across the state for five years, he said.
Ravindra said that the present government was working on restoring every system in the state that was destroyed by the previous YSR Congress regime. He alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy had destroyed every system in the state and looted the state exchequer. The present government was setting the house in order, the Minister added.
