HYDERABAD | JULY 21, 2017:

Industry Minister K.T. Rama Rao has exuded confidence that the Telegana Government’s objective of extending the benefit of sand mining, a national resource to local tribals will be realised.

Mr. Rama Rao, who handed over the cheques for the amount earned by sand cooperative societies to hundreds of tribals at the Camp Office in Begumpet here on Thursday, said that it was contractors and political leaders who totally dominated sand mining under the previous governments.

In line with the vision of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to provide income to tribals through sand mining, the government set up 33 sand mining cooperative societies in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalapalli districts.

There are 7,939 members in these societies and in the last two years after State formation, Rs.17.35 crore were given to these cooperative societies. Recently Rs.2.2 crore cheques were issued to some cooperative societies.

At present agreements were entered into with 21 societies through TS Mineral Development Corporation and agreements would be made with rest of the societies soon.

In an interaction with people who came from Eturu, Tupakula Gudem, Mulakatte villages of Kothagudem and Bhupalapalli districts, the Minister wanted them to think why though sand was mined in the past in their vicinity, they did not get any share in the income. “You did not get any income because contractors and political leaders took all the money,” he said. Thanks to the Chief Minister’s decision, each tribal family was now earning Rs.1.6 lakh income through cooperative societies.

Minister for Tribal Welfare Chandulal said tribals were economically benefited through the sale of sand through the cooperative societies.

Industry and Mining departments officials were also present on the occasion.

(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)