Mining set for 100% growth: KTR

Minister for mines K.T. Rama Rao on Friday said that the state was poised to achieve 100 per cent growth in mining revenue this year.

Mr Rama Rao said that TS has already topped in mining revenue among the southern states in 2015-16, clocking a growth rate of 41 per cent over 2014-15.

He was speaking after reviewing the mining department activities at the Secretariat on Friday.

The minister asked officials to formulate a new mining policy which would benefit the poor and the common man.

Mr Rama Rao said that earlier mining policies were aimed at benefitting miners and contractors but this should no more be the case in TS.

“Steps should be taken to reduce the price of sand to make it affordable for common people for construction activities. We have already brought down sand price by half during the last one year. But there is scope for further lowering of the prices,” he said.

Mr Rama Rao asked officials to allow people to purchase sand from nearby sand reaches for lower prices.

He directed officials to initiate stringent measures against illegal transportation of sand between states and give more powers to officials to crack the whip against them.

Asking officials to book criminal cases against illegal transporters, Mr Rama Rao also directed them to geo-tag all mining assets in the state.