Taking a serious note of the activities of the sand mafia, the State Cabinet has decided to take stringent measures to implement the government’s ambitious free sand policy.
“Arrest those involved in such illegal activities,” said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, addressing the Cabinet meeting here on Tuesday.
The government had decided to provide sand free of cost and collect only transportation charges from the user. But, the transporters and the sand mafia are collecting exorbitant rates from the users.
Keeping in mind the widespread resentment, the Cabinet decided to constitute a four-member committee comprising district Collector, Superintendent of Police (SP), transport official and Assistant Director (Mines) in every district. The committee would oversee the charges being collected by the transporters while delivering the sand. The committee would fix price for loading and unloading and transportation.
Collection above the rate fixed by the committee would attract stringent punishment, Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Minister Kalava Srinivasulu said.
Briefing the decisions taken by the Cabinet, Mr. Srinivasulu said that the meeting cleared proposal to provide ₹25,000 to each beneficiary with a view to completing construction of the houses that were taken up before 2014. The government would release ₹ 500 crore for this. More than 1.15 lakh poor families would benefit, he said.
Pension for
CKD sufferers
The government would pay a pension of ₹2,500 per month to persons suffering from chronic kidney disease(CKD. The patients who were undergoing dialysis in government hospitals for stage 3, 4 and 5 were eligible for the pension, he said
The State government and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) would set up a research centre jointly to study the reasons for kidney ailments in the Uddhanam area. The government would spend ₹5 crore per annum in the next three years, he said.
The Minister said AP Drinking Water Supply Corporation be formed to enhance water supply in the State. All drinking water supply agencies would be brought under the corporation. At present, the government is supplying 40 to 55 litres to each individual and it would be increased to 100 litres, he said.
Special capital infra fund
The Cabinet also decided to complete the 29 projects before September. In August, an attractive jalasirula ki haaratulu would be organised in all the 13 districts, he said. In another major decision, the Cabinet decided to create Special Capital City Infrastructure Development Fund by amending CRDA Section 25(1), 25(2). Also, Section 21(1)of the Act would be amended to constitute Chief Executive Authority in the CRDA, he added.
