Take strict measures to check sand smuggling: Collector

Tirupati: The district administration has taken up strict measures to check illegal sand mining, transport and sale, stated district Collector Dr S Venkateswar. He held a meeting with the district sand committee on the measures to be taken for sand distribution at a nominal price as per the government guidelines, here on Thursday.

The Collector said three desiltation points were identified for sand supply, which are located in Pulluru village in the downstream Swarnamukhi and Kaluvakuru in the upstream of Swarnamukhi and Gudali. 43,173 metric tonnes in Pulluru, 53,550 metric tonnes in Gudali and 40,963 metric tonnes of sand is available in Kaluvakuru.

He directed the RDOs and Tahsildars to set up stock points for the sale of sand that will be mined from desiltation areas. They were also told to transport sand through registered vehicles only to the stock/sale points.

In the stock points, all the facilities including electricity, weighment and billing and also required stock should be made available.

Police security should be provided for a round-the-clock watching to check any unauthorised distribution and sale of sand, the Collector said. People, who want sand, should apply online and it will be provided to them at nominal price as fixed by the district sand committee.

Collector Venkateswar directed the officials to complete all arrangements for the free distribution of sand as per the government policy.

DRO Penchala Kishore, RDO Kiranmayi, Balaji Nayak, irrigation EE Srinivas Rao, RTO Murali Mohan, DPO Suseela Devi, RWS SE Vijay Kumar, Rajasekhar and others were present.