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Mumbai, Oct 28 (IANS) The Maharashtra government on Tuesday released a government proposal to change its M Sand (artificial sand) policy by imposing stricter penalties for quality violations.
The government has also given ministry-level powers to district collectors and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said all M-Sand units will have to follow Bureau of Indian Standards (BSI) and IS codes.
The license will be suspended for six months if non-compliance is detected in an inspection led by the District Collector; Repeat offenses trigger permanent revocation.
Minister Bawankule said, “We have made important changes to encourage local entrepreneurs while not compromising on the quality of M-Sand. District Collectors now have full implementation powers.”
District unit limit has increased from 50 to 100, with collectors authorized to approve units and give incentives based on geography and applications. Government concessions are applicable to the first 50 units per district, which can be increased to 100.
He said the auction of government land is limited to Maharashtra-registered institutions; Existing mining leaseholders are ineligible to give preference to new entrepreneurs. The units get 5-10 acres of land and have to be operational within a year of approval.
Minister Bawankule said the reforms promote M-Sand as a sustainable alternative to natural sand with decentralised, prompt enforcement against substandard products.
Earlier, Minister Bawankule said the new sand policy focuses on regulating sand excavation, distribution and transportation to curb illegal activities and ensure sustainable supply. This includes e-auction for sand clusters, promotion of M-Sand (artificial sand) and free sand (up to 5 brass) for rural housing beneficiaries under Gharkul scheme.
To reduce dependence on river sand, the policy promotes M-Sand (manufactured sand), with 50 crusher units per district authorized and mandatory use in government projects (initially 20 per cent, increasing to 100 per cent in three years), he said. This indirectly impacts transportation by focusing on locally produced artificial sand, potentially reducing transportation logistics.
–IANS
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