Kolkata: A shortage in supply of sand and the consequent spike in its price have prompted Bengal govt to ask district magistrates to immediately auction all unallocated sand mining ghats and push up production.Construction industry insiders say the price of the “minor mineral” has gone up by nearly 40% over the past couple of months. The hike, they claim, is the result of govt’s crackdown on illegal sand mining, which prompted the handful of legal units to jack up rates.CM Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said once the auctioned ghats are operational, prices will come down. “I have told the DMs that common people should get sand at cheaper rates. If required, we will procure sand and give it to people at reduced price,” he said.Adhikari’s administration had started cracking down on illegal sand mining soon after assuming office in May to plug revenue loss. “There were only five legal and 500 illegal sand mining ghats. Money from illegal mining used to go to Camac Street,” Adhikari alleged, adding that auctioning of only one ghat in Burdwan has fetched the exchequer Rs 13 crore.Adhikari’s message to the DMs went out on Wednesday during a videoconference. “The CM told us that all unallocated sand mining ghats should be auctioned and production should start at the earliest. He also instructed us to ensure that prices do not go up,” a DM told TOI. Another DM said the CM was particularly concerned that beneficiaries of PM Awas Yojana, a welfare scheme aimed at providing affordable housing to low- and middle-income families, were being forced to buy sand at inflated rates.The purchase manager of a real estate company said 1,000 cubic feet of sand that used to cost Rs 60,000 at the start of the year now costs Rs 90,000.City realtors said this will impact new and upcoming projects. “Sand is required in every stage of construction, and any rise in its price naturally affects project cost. Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) will not allow us to raise prices of units already announced and booked. So, we may be forced to raise prices of new projects,” said the owner of a real estate company.“The industry has already suffered setbacks because of the US-Iran war and blockade of Strait of Hormuz. Prices of tiles, aluminium, petrochemicals and gas used for welding have all shot up,” he added.
