Chandrababu Naidu masterminding a massive sand loot, alleges Jagan

Half of the 80 lakh tonnes of sand stored by the YSRCP government to avoid shortfall during the rainy season vanished within a month of Naidu becoming CM, alleges the YSRCP president

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, in a lengthy post on X, tore into Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of “masterminding a massive sand loot in Andhra Pradesh that has left the State’s revenues crippled and the people suffering under rising costs”.

In his post on Sunday, Mr. Jagan said that the State government, instead of honouring its promises of suppling free sand and ensuring transparency, had actually doubled the sand prices compared to when the YSRCP was in power in the State. The Chief Minister failed to introduce a clear sand policy even after four months in office, and is operating in secrecy, Mr. Jagan alleged.

“Mr. Naidu quietly announced tenders with only two days’ notice during the Dasara festival, in order to ensure that his close associates continue to control the sand business and block fair competition,” the former Chief Minister alleged.

“Where is the free sand promised by Mr. Naidu during the elections?” Mr. Jagan asked, wondering if there was one place in the State where supply of sand was actually free. “During my time as Chief Minister, the State at least earned money from sand sale. Now, even that revenue is gone,” Mr. Jagan said in his post. 

“The YSRCP government’s transparent sand policy kept prices affordable for consumers while generating revenue for the State. Our government curbed corruption by using e-tenders and supplied sand at ₹475 per tonne, of which ₹375 went to the Treasury, resulting in an annual income of ₹750 crore,” he said.

Accusing Mr. Naidu of setting up a ‘sand mafia’, the YSRCP president claimed the public were being forced to grapple with high prices while the Chief Minister’s associates profited. Mr. Jagan further claimed that TDP leaders, right after the election results, turned their focus on the sand reserves in the State. “Almost half of the 80 lakh tonnes of sand stored by the YSRCP government to avoid shortages during the rainy season vanished within a month of Mr. Naidu becoming Chief Minister. This looting was organised by TDP leaders and was similar to the corruption seen during Mr. Naidu’s previous tenure. Between 2014 and 2019, the Treasury did not earn a single rupee from sand sales due to Mr. Naidu’s corrupt schemes. The TDP government has set up a complicated system of false tenders and memos, which handed control of the sand business to his close associates. Mr. Naidu ignored the rules, twisted policies for personal gain, and allowed sand looting on a massive scale, causing the State to lose thousands of crores in revenue,” Mr. Jagan added.

Published - October 13, 2024 11:41 pm IST