AP mining revenue increased to Rs 4756 crore since 2019, says Ramachandra Reddy
VIJAYAWADA: Mines minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy has said the mining revenue of AP has increased to ₹4,756 crore since 2019, compared to the previous figure of ₹1,950 crore during the last phase of the Telugu Desam government.
He refuted allegations of the opposition about illegal sand mining. “There was no revenue to the government from sand during the previous government’s term, but now AP logged a revenue of ₹2,300 crore from sand extraction and sale.”
Addressing the media here on Thursday, the minister alleged that during the five years of TD rule, Chandrababu Naidu and Nara Lokesh looted the sand revenue in the guise of a free sand policy. He explained the sand excavation and revenue details through a PowerPoint presentation and claimed that Naidu and Lokesh were making false and baseless allegations against the government regarding sand excavation.
The minister said that during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s present term, a sand policy was introduced and implemented in a transparent manner, both offline and online.
He said that during TD's five-year rule, sand mining was carried out at their will and 19 GOs on Sand policy were issued during their tenure by changing the rules from time to time for their convenience.
The minister alleged that a huge sand mafia operated during 2014 - 19 adjacent to Naidu’s residence on the Karakatta in the Krishna riverbed. “TD MLAs and ministers carried out sand mining at will in all the constituencies. “In West Godavari districts, tahsildar Vanajakshi was attacked by TD MLA Chinthamaneni Prabhakar for her objections to illegal mining and the settlement was done by Naidu himself.”
He alleged that TD MLAs and ministers were involved in sand excavation in Krishna, Penna, Vamsadhara, Nagavali and Godavari rivers. “Everything was done under the directions of Lokesh. Through sand mafia gangs, Lokesh was getting ₹500 crore every month,” he alleged.
Ramachandra Reddy also stated that a fine of around ₹100 crore had been imposed by the NGT after it collected evidence related to the sand mining that took place next to Chandrababu's house.
