The Minister for Mines, Patnam Mahender Reddy, stated that Telangana’s sand policy is the best in the country and other states are following it. He asked officials to speed up the process of permissions for mines acquired through auction. Reddy held a review meeting with Chief Secretary Shanti Kumari to assess the progress of mining, quarry leases, and revenue collection across the state.
During the meeting, Reddy discussed the environmental clearances obtained for recently acquired mineral blocks through auction and directed officials to expedite the necessary works. He also highlighted the department’s achievements since 2014, praising their progress in revenue collection. The target for this year was Rs 2,267 crore, but the department has already collected Rs 3,884 crore. Reddy urged the staff to continue working with dedication to achieve future targets.
The minister mentioned that proposals to fill 127 vacant posts in the department would be brought to the attention of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Efforts will be made to strengthen the department and integrate technology to maximize the use of underground resources.
Reddy commended the TSMDC for winning awards and mentioned that sand is being supplied through 101 reaches in the state. To prevent illegal transportation, 400 CCTV cameras are being installed. Reddy instructed officials to write to all collectors, urging them to expedite permits for sand mining in Patta lands. He emphasized the importance of ensuring there is no shortage of sand in all districts.
