By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: In the 21st century, everything is becoming hi-tech, and the Bihar government is keeping pace with these advancements. Addressing the concerns of its citizens regarding sand availability, the Bihar government is now set to offer home delivery of sand. Furthermore, if the delivered sand does not meet the customer’s expectations, it can be returned. Bihar State Mining Corporation Limited has been tasked with developing this system, and companies for the online portal and sand sales are being selected through a tender process.
The Bihar government has decided to provide the preferred type of sand for construction purposes through an online service. Similar to other online shopping platforms, customers can choose the type of sand they need, and the government will deliver it to their doorstep. If the product is satisfactory, it can be kept; otherwise, it can be returned.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha announced the creation of the ‘Balu Mitra’ portal, where people can book sand home delivery online. However, the service will take approximately two months to launch.
On the ‘Balu Mitra’ portal, customers need to enter the quantity of sand, their name, and address. Once entered, an OTP will be sent to their mobile for verification. After verifying the OTP, the sand will be booked. Bookings can be made based on the desired quality. Additionally, the vehicles delivering the sand to homes will be monitored through GPS and a vehicle location tracking system.
Bihar has a total of 891 sand ghats, with 488 designated for yellow sand and 403 for white sand. Sand mining is closed in the state from June 15 to October 15 due to the monsoon season. District Magistrates (DMs) in areas where sand excavation occurs have been instructed to crack down on illegal mining.
Currently, there is enough sand stock to last for four months, and license holders will be able to sell it. A meeting is scheduled with district mining officials on today to review actions on illegal mining, K-license, and storage. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha stated that action will be taken against sand mafias who do not comply within four months. Additionally, the department aims to double the government’s revenue from sand mining this year by improving the process and regulations.
The Deputy Chief Minister emphasized that anyone can report illegal mining activities by calling the department’s 24×7 hotline at 0612-2215360. The department has also directed that all sand ghats in Bihar be monitored via CCTV. In the financial year 2024-25, so far, 6,095 raids have been conducted, 3,462 vehicles seized, and 832 FIRs registered against illegal mining activities. A total of 375 individuals involved in illegal mining have been arrested, and Rs 43.44 crore has been recovered as penalties.
Minister Ratnesh Sada highlighted that the government is initiating the online sale of sand to prevent the sand mafia from inflating prices. The government will deliver sand to homes at regulated rates. This policy is being developed to curb the activities of the sand mafia.
Overall, this initiative by the Bihar government is significant. Only time will tell how beneficial this will be for sand purchasers. Currently, the plan to deliver sand to people’s homes through the ‘Balu Mitra’ portal is a hot topic of discussion in Bihar.
