AP initiates economic empowerment of women through sand mining

The Andhra Pradesh government has launched an initiative of entrusting sand mining to women self-help groups, which is essentially expected to curb the thriving sand mafia.
The move will ensure economic empowerment of women as part of the government's 'Pedarikam pai gelupu' (victory over poverty) drive and make sand available at a reasonable price to customers.
The income generated from sand mining and sale will be routed to the Farmers' Empowerment Corporation (FEC), that was launched last week for implementing the farmers' debt redemption scheme.
A pilot sand mining scheme undertaken in East Godavari district under the new Sand Mining Policy-2014 has met with "tremendous success", encouraging the government to extend it across the state, an official in chief minister's office said.

Of the 1.9 lakh cubic metres of sand extracted under the supervision of women SHGs, 40,000 cubic meters has already been sold, earning an income of Rs 2.95 crore, as per the information provided by the CMO.
Of the total income, 25 per cent will go to the women SHGs and the balance to the FEC which will also undertake various other programmes for farmers' empowerment and making agriculture a profitable venture.

There are 81 identified sand reaches, including 11 inter-state sharing sites, in Andhra Pradesh. Hitherto, these reaches were allotted to private contractors through auction and subsequently through draw of lots.

The contractors allegedly formed a cartel and ensured the reaches fell in their own hands. Sand price shot up to as high as Rs 24,000 per tonne, escalating the cost of building construction across the state.
"Income to government in the form of sand seigniorage was too meagre to note, whereas the contractors made a killing.