Minister for Mines and Geology, Kollu Ravindra, has announced that the Andhra Pradesh government intends to introduce a free sand policy within the next three months. This policy aims to rejuvenate the construction sector and generate livelihoods for thousands of workers.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is personally overseeing the initiative, emphasizing the importance of affordable access to sand for the general public as vital to the state's economy. He has directed officials to develop comprehensive guidelines to ensure the effective implementation of this policy.
Minister for Mines and Geology, Kollu Ravindra, announced that in the next two weeks, stock points, both legal and illegal, will be identified to facilitate the distribution of sand free of cost to the public. Addressing the media at the Secretariat, Mr. Ravindra emphasized that the previous government's sand policy had led to significant unemployment in the construction sector, with sand being sold unchecked by private agencies over the past five years.
He underscored that the proposed free sand policy aims to benefit workers and make construction more affordable for the public. Given that sand mining cannot commence until after September due to the monsoon, it has been estimated that approximately one crore tonnes of sand will be required over the next three months.
Mr. Ravindra assured that transportation charges for sand will be regulated to prevent excessive costs, and measures will be implemented to combat black market activities related to sand distribution.