Kerala to net Rs 1000 cr a yr by selling sand from reservoirs

PALAKKAD: Kerala is expected to net Rs 1,000 crore a year through sale of sand and silt removed from beds of reservouirs, state Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac said here 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