The Chief Secretary, Alka Tiwari, has instructed all Deputy Commissioners to complete the auction process of all commercial sand ghats in the state by the first fortnight of September. She emphasized that the Deputy Commissioners should thoroughly understand the new sand policy before the auction to ensure transparency and avoid technical issues. To this end, she stressed the importance of training for the Deputy Commissioners, along with mining officials, on the basics, to ensure they can conduct the auction with clarity and preparedness. This is considered highly significant for the state. The new sand policy aims to provide sand to consumers at a fair price, while also completely restricting the illegal sand trade and discouraging the inflow of sand from other states. The instructions were delivered during a video conferencing session with all the Deputy Commissioners regarding the sand ghat auctions.
The Mining Secretary, Arwa Rajkamal, and Mining Director, Rahul Sinha, highlighted the crucial role of the Deputy Commissioners in the sand ghat auctions, alongside the mining department. Therefore, all Deputy Commissioners are urged to take this seriously and conduct the auction process with full clarity and preparation. They also advised the Deputy Commissioners to conduct a mock drill of the auction process and to familiarize the bidders with the entire procedure. Furthermore, they emphasized the need to provide a helpline if necessary.
They stated that the Green Tribunal’s ban on mining from sand ghats will be lifted after October 15. Completing the auction before that will ensure the timely commencement of mining and prevent a sand shortage in the state. It was also clarified that the government will not determine the sand prices, but the administration will fully manage the legal sand trade. The Deputy Commissioners will have the authority to cancel contracts for those who do not comply with the rules.
The sand ghats have been divided into two categories. The first category includes sand ghats with an area of less than five hectares, which will be operated through the Gram Sabha. There are 374 such sand ghats. The second category involves the auction of sand ghats with an area of more than 5 hectares. A total of 60 groups have been formed for this, combining small and large sand ghats. No single individual will be given a sand ghat with an area of more than one thousand hectares, and no one will be awarded contracts for more than two groups. The entire auction process of the sand ghats was previously shared with the Deputy Commissioners through a PPT. Rajiv Lochan Bakshi, a member of SIA, elaborated on the environmental issues related to mining. Representatives from Jaip IT explained the technical aspects of the auction in detail to avoid any confusion.
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