Maharashtra's Sand Policy 2025 amended; special provisions for crackdown on mafia

Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday announced amendments to the state's Sand Policy 2025, introducing specialized flying squads and stringent regulations for the Konkan coastal belt to curb illegal mining. According to an official release by Bawankule's office, the revised policy aims to bring ''transparency in the sand mining and sale process and establish effective control over illegal activities.'' Under the new amendments, special flying squads will be appointed at the taluka and sub-division levels. These teams will comprise officers from the revenue department and other allied agencies. In a special provision for Konkan region, sub-divisional officers and tehsildars have been granted the authority to take action in adjacent talukas or districts outside their immediate jurisdiction to prevent illegal transportation. Further, the powers of the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) have been enhanced to control sand mining in coastal areas and bays. The board will now be responsible for registering all boats transporting sand. Board officers are now empowered to seize unregistered or illegal vessels and hand them over to the Tehsildar. The policy also introduces new financial eligibility criteria for participants in e-auctions. Annual turnover requirements for bidders have been scaled based on sand reserves, ranging from Rs 10 lakh for stocks up to 1,000 brass, to Rs 3.5 crore for reserves exceeding 25,000 brass.

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