Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday decided to auction around 800 sand mines through district collectors.
The state cabinet gave its nod to the decision at a meeting held at the official residence of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
Emerging from the meeting, Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey and Forest Minister Mohammed Akbar told media that of the 800 sand mines earmarked for auction, 233 mines already got environmental clearances.
The cabinet also decided to form around 100 sand-mine clusters.
The government has decided to register names of transporters and sand dealers and will monitor their activities through 30 flying-squads.
The decision is likely to increase the state’s revenue from the sand mines. Sources said earlier local bodies used to get around Rs 13 crore as royalty from the mines. Now it will be around Rs 250 crore.
The DMF fund earlier was being used for infrastructure but as per cabinet decision it will be now used for beneficiary oriented schemes like health and education.
Ministers said among others, the meeting decided to continue with distribution of chickpea in 85 tribal blocks while jaggery will be distributed in Bastar to fight anemia found among women and children. Each family will get 2 kg of jaggery. It will also benefit sugarcane growers of the state.
The meeting also decided to give pension to family members and ancestral lineage of Shahid Veer Narayan Singh. At present members of family are receiving pension.
Other decisions taken in the meeting includes giving free-hold benefit to land-title holders in civic body areas along with giving land ownership rights.
No loan certificates will be issued to loan beneficiaries of 1333 cooperative committees.