Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has announced in the Legislative Council that the Maharashtra government will introduce a 'Zero Royalty' policy for sand imported from neighbouring states to tackle the state's growing sand shortage. He said the policy would be announced before the conclusion of the ongoing legislative session.
The minister made the announcement while responding to a Calling Attention Motion moved by MLA Chandrakant Raghuvanshi regarding the shortage of sand in Nandurbar district. Bawankule said the primary objective of the policy is to ensure the timely availability of sand for the construction sector and government housing projects.
He also informed the House that the government is preparing a proposal to permit sand extraction from the Tapi River in Nandurbar using suction pumps. The proposal is based on the policy currently followed in the Konkan region, with extraction to be carried out within limits prescribed by the Environment Department.
Raghuvanshi pointed out that conventional methods of sand extraction are impractical in the Tapi River because it contains water throughout the year. He noted that Gujarat allows year-round sand extraction using suction pumps, whereas the absence of a similar policy in Maharashtra has resulted in a shortage of sand, affecting development works.
Bawankule said Maharashtra would allow sand to be imported from Gujarat and other neighbouring states until adequate local supplies become available. The process will require coordination between the District Collectors of the two states. The District Collector of the supplying district will have to issue a certificate confirming the availability and legal source of the sand.
Under the proposed policy, no royalty will be levied on imported sand, as royalty would already have been paid in the state of origin. However, transportation of imported sand will be permitted only during daytime, with night-time transport prohibited.
Responding to a query by MLA Pranay Phuke, Bawankule clarified that the policy would also benefit other sand-deficit districts, including Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, and Amravati. Districts with sufficient local sand reserves will not be covered under the scheme.
The minister further said the government is considering imposing a transit fee on imported sand to help offset damage caused to rural roads by heavy vehicles. However, he clarified that, in line with Supreme Court directives, Maharashtra cannot levy royalty on sand if royalty has already been paid in another state.
To strengthen enforcement against illegal transportation of sand and other minor minerals, the government will use the Central Government's RailTel online tracking system. A state-level war room will be established under the Konkan Divisional Commissioner's office to monitor every sand-transporting truck in real time. The new mechanism will replace the existing private monitoring system with a government-managed, technology-driven platform aimed at improving transparency and enforcement.