The Maharashtra government will announce a zero royalty policy for sand imported from neighbouring states to address shortages and ensure timely supply for the construction sector and government housing projects, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told the Legislative Council on Wednesday.
Suction Pump Proposal
Replying to a calling attention motion raised by MLC Chandrakant Raghuwanshi on the sand shortage in Nandurbar district, Bawankule said the policy would be announced before the current legislative session concludes.
The minister also announced that the government is preparing a proposal to permit the use of suction pumps for sand extraction from the Tapi river in Nandurbar, similar to the policy followed in the Konkan region. He said the extraction would be allowed only within limits approved by the Environment Department.
Import Conditions
Raghuwanshi pointed out that although the Tapi river has abundant sand deposits, year-round water flow makes conventional extraction impossible. While neighbouring Gujarat permits suction pumps for sand mining throughout the year, Maharashtra currently does not, resulting in acute shortages and delays in development works.
Bawankule said sand could continue to be imported from Gujarat and other states until local supplies improve. However, such imports would require official coordination between the district collectors of both states, with the exporting district certifying the availability of sand. Imported sand would be exempt from royalty, but transportation would be permitted only during daytime, with night movement prohibited.
Responding to a query by MLC Pranay Phuke, the minister clarified that the policy would also apply to districts such as Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Amravati, where local shortages exist. Districts with adequate sand reserves would not be covered.
Bawankule said the government is also considering imposing a transit charge on imported sand to generate funds for repairing rural roads damaged by heavy truck traffic, while complying with Supreme Court rulings that prohibit double royalty on sand already taxed in another state.
To curb illegal transportation of sand and other minor minerals, the minister said the state has entrusted monitoring to the Centre's RailTel through an online tracking system. A state-level war room, operating under the Konkan Divisional Commissioner's office, will monitor the movement of every sand truck in real time, replacing the earlier monitoring arrangement handled by the private Shourya agency.
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