Sand to cost Rs. 3,000 per truckload

The district administration has fixed a price of Rs. 3,000 for a truckload of ordinary sand and Rs. 3,500 for fine sand within 10 km from the loading point. The rate is applicable to two units or 200 cubic ft (cft) of sand.

Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim fixed the rates after holding a meeting with the stakeholders — sand miners, transporters and the public — at his office on Thursday.

While the minimum rates were fixed at Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 3,500 respectively for two categories of sand, the rates would be increased by Rs. 500 for every five additional kilometres, Mr. Ibrahim said.

At the same time, the DC made it clear that the administration would strictly curb inter-State sand transportation, which has been banned by the government.

Also, only limited quantities of sand would be allowed to be transported across districts. There was no shortage of sand in the district, Mr. Ibrahim said.

The decision was arrived at after a long meeting with the stakeholders.

Mayura Varma, representing the sand miners, said the miners too were concerned about social issues and were prepared to supply sand at reasonable rates. At the same time, they should not be made to suffer, he said, and urged the administration to fix reasonable rates.

He said the miners were forced to demand higher rates because not many workers were available to extract sand.

Social activist G. Hanumanth Kamath said that the prices of sand were not contained by the administration, due to which the common man, who builds a house for himself, was severely affected. He alleged that builders indulged in increasing the prices.