Guntur: The state government’s prestigious free sand scheme is failing to benefit the public. The free sand reaches/quarries are far away from the reach of the public which is causing severe inconvenience to them to get sand free of cost. The construction activity is on surge in Guntur, Tenali, Mangalagiri and other areas of Guntur district and people have to shell out Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 to get sand load through a lorry. The private transporters are demanding huge money for transportation of sand.
Hence, the public are demanding that the government fix the transport charges according to the norms to the help the public to really benefit from free sand scheme. The digging of sand with machinery is prohibited, but interestingly, excavators and cranes are in use to dig the sand and to load the stock in the lorries. N. Ananth of Guntur said private persons are collecting Rs 600 to Rs 700 to load sand into a lorry and Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,500 is charged for transportation per lorry at Venkatapalem sand reach.
He said that there is no use of free sand scheme as earlier the unit sand used to cost Rs 7,000 when the government uses to sell sand. He recollected that earlier the transportation charge per lorry was only Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500. So, the government should implement the old rates for transportation. The locals of Uddandarayunipalem on March 14 stopped several sand lorries alleging illegal shifting of sand from the Uddandarayunipalem sand reach. But, the CRDA officials immediately rushed to the spot and released the sand lorries claiming sand supply to temporary Secretariat works at Velagapudi.
The locals are alleging that there are no construction works in the villages on the banks of Krishna river and that free sand is usable for contractors of temporary the Secretariat. The locals of the capital region villages who were facing financial troubles with the absence of agriculture works are demanding provision of sand digging works in the sand reaches which would be helpful to nurture their families.
