Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy has directed the mining department to take strict action against illegal sand mining and transportation in the state. The CM said that district collectors and superintendents of police should conduct regular inspections of sand reaches to prevent unauthorised activities.
During a review meeting on Monday, he instructed vigilance teams to raid overloaded vehicles involved in illegal sand transport, which is affecting govt revenue.
To make sand more accessible to the public, the govt has relaxed the booking process. N Sridhar, principal secretary of mines and geology, said that citizens can now book sand from designated stockyards through the Sand Sale Management and Monitoring System between 10 am and 5 pm, instead of limited slots previously.
The CM also issued strict guidelines to prevent illegal sand excavation and transportation. Contractors and transport agencies are required to submit monthly reports on sand consumption.
Additionally, district collectors and SPs will be provided with login credentials to monitor sand reaches and stockyards.
The CM urged contractors to cooperate with the govt’s goal of doubling sand revenue by 2025-26, ensuring a streamlined and legal sand supply chain. Contractors must adhere to increased transportation quotas and ensure loading at stockyards does not exceed the tipper’s body level.
They were told to try and triple the supply within stipulated norms and time.
Violations will lead to contract cancellations and blacklisting. There are no restrictions on bulk sand booking, but overloading of lorries is not allowed.
A dedicated team will monitor sand excavation, sales, and dumping, and regular checks will be carried out. Between Feb 1 and 12, authorities checked 1,222 sand-laden vehicles, leading to 136 cases, 111 vehicle seizures, and 21 driving license suspensions. Fines totalling 14.28 lakh were collected for violations like overloading and operating without valid waybills.
