Govt won't budge, sand price will stabilise soon: Jayachandra

 Law Minister T B Jayachandra on Friday strongly defended the new sand mining rules and said the government will not yield to the pressure being mounted by sand transporters.

Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, he said sand prices will soon stabilise and the scarcity of sand is only temporary.

“Soon everything will fall in line. The new rules laid down by the government will not only protect the environment and bring revenue to the government, but also bring down the prices,” he stated.

The transporters' demands are unreasonable. They want a monthly permit to transport sand anywhere in the State. It is unacceptable. “Sand mining is almost similar to iron ore mining. It causes environmental damage. Moreover, if new rules are properly implemented, the government will get about Rs 1,000 crore revenue through royalty,” he pointed out.

The government has no intention of harassing the transporters. Criminal cases will be filed only if the rules are violated. The new rules are framed as per the direction of the Union government. They are both environment and development friendly, he claimed.

He also said he recently held a meeting with deputy commissioners of all districts and clarified their doubts on the new sand mining rules. The DCs have been directed to strictly implement the rules and make use of their powers to bring down prices.
Jayachandra said the Cabinet has decided to enact a legislation seeking to rectify an error pertaining to granting of salary to the staff of private aided institutions.

Currently, it has been stated that the staff will get revised salary (as per the grant-in-aid norms) from the date of their appointment. The Cabinet has decided to make it from the date of the government according grant-in-aid to the institution.

The government will have to spend a whopping Rs 5,000 crore if it has to follow the existing rules. Hundreds of employees of these institutions, most of them retired employees, have filed cases in courts on the issue. Hence, it has been decided to enact a legislation to clear the confusion. If necessary, an ordinance will be issued, he added.