Sand sale by SHGs pays dividends

The State government’s decision to entrust the sale of sand to self-help groups appears to have paid off, with DWCRA women selling over 1.55 lakh cubic metres of sand.

The move had paid dividends in that the SHGs took over the monitoring of as many as 153 sand reaches and started supply at reasonable prices.

While DWCRA groups registered a sale of 1.55 lakh cubic metres, another 3.27 lakh cubic metres remain to be sold. Coupled with the initiative was the government’s decision to supply sand at the doorstep of the needy.

People could book sand online or through MeeSeva centres by remitting the necessary amount in the form of DDs. Buyers could track the status of their request online through the transaction ID provided to them, and the government will in turn provide them advance information about the dispatch of sand through SMSes.

Buyers can log on to www.sandbyshg.ap.gov.in for making advance booking. Complaints about the system can be registered by dialling the toll-free number 20201211800, while suggestions/feedback can be forwarded to the facebook page ‘sandminingbySHG’.

Officials said the introduction of the new system had eliminated middlemen on the one hand and ensured that sand was available to the needy at reasonable price.