Andhra Pradesh suffered revenue loss to the tune of ₹19,000 crore in mining under YSRCP rule, alleges Chief Minister

Andhra Pradesh suffered revenue loss to the tune of ₹19,000 crore in mining under YSRCP rule, alleges Chief Minister

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said that an estimated revenue of ₹19,000 crore was lost by the State government between 2019-24, under the alleged misrule of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the mining. 

Addressing a press conference at Secretariat while releasing a White Paper on “Misappropriation of natural resources – land, mines & minerals and forests” on Monday at secretariat, along with Ministers Anagani Satya Prasad and Kollu Ravindra, the Chief Minister said that the government would make every corrupt person accountable for all these violations.  

The Chief Minister alleged that the government suffered a loss of more than ₹7,000 crore due to illegal sand mining operations conducted by the YSRCP leaders in the last five years. He added that the State government suffered a loss of ₹1,000 crore due to non-collection of seigniorage from minor minerals exploitation and there was a drastic fall in mineral revenue growth rate between 2019-24.  

Mr. Naidu alleged that the YSRCP leaders had occupied the mining and quarry lease areas of other people, apart from penalising and stopping the works of Opposition party leaders. The YSRCP leaders further resorted to mining without any lease rights and even in forest areas they exploited natural resources, he added.  

Rampant illegal mining of sand in the last five years in violation of environmental regulations was proved in the courts, he added.  

Explaining about the modus operandi involved in forcible takeover of businesses, Mr. Naidu said that, silica sand lease holders in Nellore district were forced to supply to a select few dealers at fixed rates that creating a monopoly. A hefty penalty of ₹215 crore was levied on M/s MSP granites and the owners were forced to hand over the lease to M/s Vamsadhara Mines and Granites ( belonging to the close aide of former YSRCP MLA), in Srikakulam district, he added.  

All the quartz leaseholders in Nellore were forced to supply the mineral to cartel of YSRCP leaders at fixed rates, creating a monopoly. The laterite leaseholders in the Godavari district were forced to sell to the select players like Y.V. Vikrant Reddy at fixed rates and cement plants were made to rely on imports from other States, he said.