The state government's sand door-delivery scheme is receiving a huge response from builders and consumers across Krishna district. AP Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) started the pilot project to supply sand directly to consumers in the district on January 2 in a bid to control illegal sand mining and transportation.

The government, which initially faced criticism for insufficient supply, has now dumped huge quantities of sand at stock points.

The APMDC decided to deliver sand directly to buyers and builders upon receiving a barrage of complaints on sand smuggling. Consumers can directly book sand trucks by making an online payment on APMDC's sand sales portal. Upon confirmation, the ordered sand will be directly delivered at the doorstep of the construction site or individual concerned.

Krishna District Collector A Md Imtiaz said the pilot project was a huge success in the district and they have successfully delivered around 6,030 orders. "Door delivery of sand will help consumers get quality sand at an affordable price fixed by the government. We accept only online orders and the consumer's details, including a copy of their ID card, will be collected while placing the order. GPS-enabled trucks will deliver the stock at the address of the buyer, thus controlling illegal stockyards," Imtiaz said.

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy expressed satisfaction over the door-to-door sand supply and authorities of APMDC are gearing up to implement the scheme across the state soon.

Authorities of APMDC explained that truck owners delivering sand were also happy with the scheme as they were receiving transport charges within 48 hours of delivering sand. Officials said they were working on depositing the money within 24 hours of delivering the order in the coming days.

Source: The Times of India, Vijayawada