Implementation of new sand policy in two months

BANGALORE: “It will take another two months to implement the newly announced sand policy in letter and spirit”, Minister for Public Works C M Udasi said.The State Government, with a view to checking illegal sand lifting, came out with a new policy from April 1. Unfortunately, the policy is yet to be implemented fully across the State due to lack of ‘preparedness’ of PWD. The government was expecting that the PWD would manage the entire operation starting from lifting of sand, storing, weighing, fixing rate and selling it  through agencies at the  rate prescribed by the government.While the minister claimed that the new policy has been implemented in four to five districts out of the total 30 districts, but the ground reality seems to be totally different. He also said ‘indifferent’ attitude of the Department of Mines and Geology was one of the reasons for the delay in implementing the new policy.According to him, committees headed by deputy commissioners comprising revenue, environment, police and transport officials are constituted in some districts. The PWD is yet to make preparations to take overall control of sand lifting operation. It is yet to float tenders for outsourcing certain operations and that process is on. “It’s not an easy process as everything has to start from scratch. In fact, the Department of Industries and Commerce is also equally responsible in implementing the new policy. Our endeavour is to outsource everything and work as only monitoring agency”.Udasi said he was aware of the confusion over sand lifting resulting in indefinite stir by sand transporters across the State. Instructions are given to the authorities concerned to follow the old rules till the new policy came into force. But it was not happening because of some problems in Department of Mines and Geology.The PWD has to identify land, start acquisition process, procure weighing machines, install CCTVs at all sand depots and appoint staff exclusively for this purpose. In most of the places, there are no approach roads and illegal sand operators were using agriculture land as thoroughfare to carryout their activities. As a government agency, PWD cannot do it, it is said.