Minister Amaraweera To Look In To Sand Prices
The Presidential Task Force has intervened to put an end to sand being sold at exorbitant prices, sold at more than three folds of the market prices countrywide, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.
Minister Amaraweera said sand bought from Manampitiya for Rs. 14,000 is sold in the market at Rs. 55,000. “If this situation is not brought under control, the price of sand will exceed Rs. 60,000 in a very short period of time,” he said.
He said that PTF has recommended state owned should intervene to control the increase sand prices with the high market demand for the Manampitiya sand in the local construction industry. MInister Amaraweera said that he discussed the problems with several sand transport drivers’ associations at the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday.
Plans are afoot distribution and buying of sand will be carried out 100 per cent state owned Technical Services company under the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB). The state-owned company would carry out a system of purchasing all the sand obtained from the rivers. The sand purchased by the company will be distributed by sand dump trucks in Polonnaruwa, Minister said.
Minister said that a programme should be set up so that the required quantity of sand can be brought home directly by contacting the Technical Services Company. Minister Amaraweera advised the Technical Services Institute of the GSMB. Accordingly, it is possible to strengthen the government’s programme to supply the required amount of sand to households at a very low cost.
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