Palakkad: Kerala is expected to net Rs
1,000 crore a year through sale of sand and silt removed from
beds of reservoirs, state Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac
said here on Sunday.
This would be a major source of non-tax revenue for the
state exchequer in the next 10 years since the demand for sand
by construction sector had been steadily on the increase, he
told reporters here.
From Malampuzha dam alone, sand and silt worth Rs 400
crore was expected to be removed and auctioned off before the
close of this summer season, he said.
A portion of sand removed from dams would be made
available to housing schemes for poorer sections at a
subsidised rate of Rs 950 per truckload. For the open market,
the rate would be Rs 2,300 per load.
Part of the revenue by way of the programme would be
provided for development schemes of local bodies in respective
areas from where the sand was removed, he said.
The programme of removing sand was launched in view of
the severe crunch for construction standard sand in Kerala.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 14, 2010, 21:07