Minister warns of stringent action against sand mafia in Ongole

Ongole: Minister for energy, forests, environment, science and technology Balineni Srinivasa Reddy announced that the government will initiate stringent action on those people involved in illegal transport of sand to help the owners of construction.

Speaking to media at his residence here on Thursday, the Minister ruled out the allegations that his son Praneeth Reddy was involved in illegal sand mining and transportation at Vetapalem in Prakasam district. The minister said that he had lodged a complaint with SP to take stern action on those people for spreading rumours on social media against him and his family members.

Responding to a question on why the government is silent on the transport of sand from Vetapalem to other districts and Telangana by the local sand mafia, Balineni announced that he has directed the SP, mining assistant director and vigilance officials to seize all vehicles transporting sand to other districts and book cases against owners of vehicles and people behind them.

The minister said the sand mining was affected in reaches due to incessant rains in the district and added the situation would come to normal within a week and the pending construction works would be completed soon.

He said the government will review Power Purchase Agreements as there was huge difference in unit price of power agreed to pay in PPA to the presently available price. He questioned that when the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh government is able to cancel the PPAs, why can't the Andhra Pradesh government?

He said the government has allocated Rs 1,700 crore to adjust power to supply 24 hours in a day and the farmers would also get 9 hours power continuously in day time soon. He also said that wind and solar power were not dependable and added the government has allowed accepting only 21 per cent of the total demand from wind and solar power companies and the state is depending on thermal power stations to meet the remaining demand of power supply.

He said the earlier government announced to build 16,000 houses for poor in the district under G+3 apartment model. Of them, nearly 5,000 flats have been started and allotted to beneficiaries.

After reviewing the situation, the government would provide housing plots to all other housing beneficiaries, Balineni said and added over 10,000 plots would be made in Prakasam district by purchasing land if necessary. He said that orders were issued to the concerned officials and the distribution of plots would be done on Ugadi Day.