5 committees to curb graft in sand mining

Rajamahendravaram: East Godavari Collector Karthikeya Mishra on Sunday constituted five committees with 10 members from the officials of various departments to check the irregularities in sand mining at ramps in the district. The collector asked the committees to submit their report in three days.

The committees were formed with the officials of mines and geology, groundwater, revenue, irrigation, police and forest departments. In the wake of heated argument between Legislative Council Deputy Chairman Reddy Subramanyam and Kothapeta YSRCP MLA Chirla Jaggireddy in Zilla Parishad meeting over the illegal sand mining rampant in the district, the committees were constituted.

The committees will inspect over 18 sand ramps in the district and check whether machines are used or not in sand mining, how much money they are collecting for sand, whether they are transporting the sand as per rates fixed by the government to destinations and names of those who are sharing money.

It may be recalled that the government is providing free sand to people but because of involvement MLAs of ruling and opposition parties and some officials, the sand became costlier and common man not getting the sand as per the price fixed by the government.

Moreover, the henchmen of MLAs are camping in sand ramps to supervise the sand loading activity. Though Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu warned the MLAs many a time not to involve in sand mining activity but in vain.