Online window for booking sand relaxed by Telangana government

Hyderabad: The Telangana government, on Monday, February 17, relaxed the time window for citizens to book sand from designated stockyards for construction purposes.

The decision was made in a meeting chaired by chief minister A Revanth Reddy and top officials from the mines and geology department.

According to the meeting, citizens can book sand through the official website of Sand Sale Management and Monitoring System (SSMMS), during office hours from 10 am to 5 pm.

The booking portal previously let citizens book only during specific slots at 12 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm.

Measures against illegal sand transportation in Telangana

During the meeting, the principal secretary (FAC), of the mines and geology department N Sridhar instructed the officials to ensure sand resources are used ethically and in line with government policies. He also mentioned the curbing of illegal excavation of sand and directed them to take strict measures for monitoring sand reaches, stockyards and illegal sand transportation in Telangana.

The Telangana government has assigned the responsibility of monitoring illegal sand transportation to district collectors and police superintendents, who will be provided with user IDs and passwords for all respective sand reaches and stockyard portals. This would enable them to deploy police or revenue officers at sand reaches, and stockyards to monitor the distribution.

Directives to Telangana sand contractors

The government issued stick directives to sand contractors to ensure adequate supply and prevent unauthorized transport.

• The Sand Contractors will have to increase the sand quantity from the sand reaches to stockyards
• The loading at the stockyard onto the tipper shall not be above the body level
• Entry and exit at the stockyard and the reach shall be only a single route
• Sand contractors have to cooperate with the government in doubling revenue in FY 2025-26.
• Any deviations from prescribed norms will lead to TGMDC agreements getting cancelled and sand contractors getting blacklisted
• Overloading lorries will not be permitted, and if found carrying more than allowed sand, criminal cases will be booked and vehicles will be seized
• The respective ADM&Gs and the POs were directed to form teams to monitor excavation, dumping and sales of the sand at various reaches.
• Strict vigil and checking to be conducted against sand lorries plying without waybills
• Unauthorized sand excavators are to be dealt with with strict actions

According to the Telangana transport department’s sand vehicles check report, between February 1 and 12, as many as 1,222 sand-laden vehicles were checked and 136 cases were booked while 111 vehicles were seized and 21 driving licenses were suspended.

A total of Rs 14.28 lakh was collected in fines for violations such as overloading and plying without valid waybills.