Faulting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Union Finance Ministry for adopting a “dual policy” towards different states over sand mining, former Union Minister Chinta Mohan demanded that the Centre should issue notices to as many as fifteen district collectors in Andhra Pradesh for violations.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, he observed that the ED had served notices to six collectors in Tamil Nadu over sand mining issues. “Though smuggling of sand is rampant from Chittoor district to Srikakulam, the Centre is never bothered to tap the revenue on sand wealth. Why is the ED not issuing any notices to Andhra Pradesh over sand smuggling?” the Congress leader charged.
He further demanded that the Union government collects GST on sand to curb the smuggling activity and to generate revenue.
Terming the scuffle between the A.P. and Telangana police as a “political gimmick” of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chinta Mohan alleged that the latter fabricated the border issue to favour the Bharatiya Rashta Samithi (BRS) on the eve of Telangana elections, which was held on November 30.
Moreover, expressing confidence on the Congress’ stake in the Telangana assembly elections, he said that the party leaders in A.P. who had quit over the recent past were now willing to return.
