Bhubaneswar: The State government will provide sand free of cost to the beneficiaries of PM Awas Yojana and other government housing schemes for the construction of pucca houses.
Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari announced that the government will bear the cost of sand for beneficiaries, making it easier for them to build homes.
The state government has also implemented a maximum selling price (MSP) for sand to control prices and curb sand mafia activities. Sand ghat leaseholders will sell sand at government-fixed prices, and those selling at higher rates will face action, warns Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena.
The Odisha Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2016 amendment aims to prevent sand theft and crack down on sand mafia. Key changes include leasing sand ghats through e-lottery instead of e-auction, addressing allegations of sand mafias storing and selling sand at inflated prices.
