Jaipur : A policy has been implemented to promote amsand as an alternative to gravel in the state. The Mines Department has set a target of auctioning 100 units per year. If work starts on 100 units, four thousand people will get employment. As per the target, the work of unit auction will be completed in the state by March 2025. On the other hand, after the establishment of Amsand units, the rates of gravel will be reduced by 9 to 10 percent. To reduce the demand of gravel, the policy will ensure more than 25% use of Amsand as an alternative to gravel in government and government-funded construction works. Rules and regulations have been prepared to do so. With this, gravel will be made cheaper as part of the plan to reduce the rates by reducing the demand for gravel. On the other hand, officers will also work separately from real estate regarding its use. There is a demand of about 7 crore tonnes of gravel annually in the state. It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court had imposed a ban on gravel mining on November 16, 2017. Since then the prices of gravel have increased three times. Meanwhile illegal mining increased. To make gravel cheaper, the Bhajan government worked to get mining done by government companies and to stop illegal mining, but the prices of gravel did not come down.
1 am: Overloaded gravel trucks running without number plates
Overloaded gravel trucks were found running on the roads on the National Highway near Niwai at 1 o’clock on Saturday night. There were no number plates on the dumper trucks. There are two checkposts before the toll. At both the checkpoints the police did not stop the trucks. One and a half to two feet gravel was visible above the truck body on the overloaded dumpers.
MSEND policy not implemented due to shortcomings in Gehlot government
Amidst the rising prices of gravel, the MSend policy was also introduced in the Gehlot government but it had many shortcomings. Among these, due to 3 years of experience in setting up MSEND units and the requirement of turnover of Rs 3 crore, very few units were established in the state. On the other hand, it could not get a boost due to the removal of the Supreme Court’s ban on gravel mining.
Expectation – Amid rising Rajasthan, the government has given industry status to MSEND units. In this, special concessions have been given in the investment promotion scheme for setting up the unit. Relief has been provided in different rules like exemption in duty, exemption in electricity etc. It is expected that due to these reliefs from the government, investors are expected to come. “E-auction of MSEND block will start by the end of the month. Officials have been instructed to prepare units for MSEND units and send proposals to the directorate.”
