After alleging serious lapses in liquor sales and failure to implement prohibition as promised in its manifesto by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trained its guns on sand mining in the State. The BJP alleged that ₹2,000 crore of revenue earned through sand mining was siphoned off by the YSRCP leaders.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari said that the State government announced its sand policy on May 3, 2021, and handed over the sand mining contract to Jaya Prakash Power Ventures Ltd. on the condition that it would pay ₹760 crore per annum to the government. Sub-leasing was not allowed as per the contract.
However, JPVL entered into a sub-lease agreement with Vijayawada-based Turnkey Enterprises. Though sand mining worth ₹188 crore was taking place, only ₹63 crore was paid to the treasury. The remaining amount was reaching the YSRCP leaders. During the last 16 months, as much as ₹2,000 crore was siphoned off, Ms. Purandeswari alleged.
The sand mining was going on in contravention of guidelines laid down by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). “Machinery should not be used in sand mining. Also, dredging should not be done in the river bed. Sand mining should be put on hold during the rainy season,” she pointed out.
“A tractor-load of sand that used to cost ₹1,000 now costs ₹5,000 to ₹6,000. The huge increase in the sand prices has inflated the construction costs. The middle class and the poor have put their plans of owning a home on hold as they are unable to afford the sand prices. As a result, anywhere between 35 lakh to 40 lakh construction workers have lost their livelihood,” Ms. Purandeswari said.
