Hyderabad: BRS spokesperson Manne Krishank on Friday alleged that the Congress government was presenting misleading figures on sand mining revenue in Telangana and demanded full disclosure of data.
He said the Congress regime before 2014 generated only Rs.39 crore from sand mining. However, he added that reforms introduced under K. Chandrashekar Rao led to a sharp rise in revenue. He claimed that sand income reached Rs.886 crore within a year during the BRS government.
Krishank said the current government distorted past performance and misled the public with incorrect statistics. He urged officials to clarify the actual revenue figures.
Sand mining revenue controversy raises pricing and transparency issues
Krishank said the BRS government fixed sand prices at Rs.645 per tonne, which kept it affordable. In contrast, he alleged that the Congress government increased the price to Rs.1,600 per tonne under the “Sand Bazaar” system. He added that transport costs were also shifted onto consumers.
Moreover, he said service charges rose from Rs.3 to Rs.100 per tonne. However, he noted that revenue did not increase proportionately. He called this trend suspicious and demanded an explanation.
Krishank also pointed out operational changes. He said sand mining earlier ran from 6 am to 6 pm under BRS rule. Now, he claimed, mining continued until 9 pm and transport operated round the clock.
He alleged that despite extended operations, revenue had not doubled. Therefore, he said concerns were growing that sand income was being diverted to a “sand mafia.”
Sand mining revenue controversy: demand for official clarification
Krishank referred to Gurram Malsur, who earlier served as Managing Director of Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation (TSMDC). Krishank said Malsur was aware of the actual data due to his previous role.
He demanded that Malsur immediately clarify the discrepancies in revenue figures. He also urged the government to release complete details on sand mining income.
Krishank said the government should ensure transparency instead of burdening people with higher costs. He warned that hiding facts while increasing public burden was not acceptable. He reiterated that the truth must be disclosed.