Sand crisis is govt-made, it is stunting growth: Chandrababu Naidu

Amaravati: The current sand crisis is nothing but an outcome of an inefficient and arrogant governance of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, said former chief minister and TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu.

In a brief interview with The Hans India at the TDP headquarters in Guntur on Thursday, Naidu said that the failure of the state government is visible at every stage in the artificial crisis of sand.

His comments come in the wake of party's state-wide protest on Friday demanding sand. The TDP leaders will stage protests at all the revenue divisional offices, APMDC (AP Mineral Development Corporation) offices and other government offices, he said.

He attributed the sand shortage to policy paralysis, inaction on the part of the government, negligence in planning, failure in maintaining sufficient stock, arrogance on the part of Chief Minister among others.

Dismissing the claim of the government that continuous floods were preventing APMDC to excavate sand, he said, "What did you do for the first three months? There were no floods in any river till the government introduced the new sand policy. If the government is really sincere, then it must maintain sufficient sand stock in the stockyards before introducing the policy".

Describing the style of function of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy "immature", he said only because of the sand crisis, the entire real estate and allied sectors were plunged into deep slump stunting the growth of the state besides depriving 30 lakh families of livelihood.

"As per the regular procedure, the government is supposed to excavate the sand during the summer season. But this government missed it deliberately. Moreover, it did not allow the public to take the sand based on the previous sand policy, until it introduced new policy. Even after introducing the sand policy, it not take a proactive step to mine sand in patta lands in the state. Now, they have been shedding crocodile tears after a huge hue and cry from the public demanding sand," he said.

The TDP supremo alleged that YSRCP leaders were exporting sand to Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and other places where it was being sold at exorbitant prices. Reacting to the amendments made to the regulations of sand policy by the state government, Chandrababu Naidu commented that they would further allow the YSRCP cadres and local leaders to loot the sand at village level. The state government has reduced restrictions on mining sand in areas where the APMDC can't do it.