Odisha Govt Mulls Free Sand Supply for PMAY Beneficiaries

Bhubaneswar: Beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Odisha may soon receive sand free of cost for constructing their houses. This was informed by Commerce, Transport, Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena in the Assembly on Thursday.

“The Government of Odisha is committed to providing free sand to Awas beneficiaries. A final decision on the matter will be taken very soon,” Jena assured while responding to a query raised by Daspalla BJD MLA Ramesh Chandra Behera.

The Minister also pointed out that sand mining is prohibited during the monsoon season as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

To curb illegal sand mining, the state government has stepped up enforcement measures. These include collection of fines by the Mines Department, strict legal action across districts, and formation of task forces at district, sub-divisional, and tahasil levels. Penalties are being imposed under Section 51 of the OMMC Rules, 2016.

Additionally, an online transit pass system through i4ms has been introduced in place of handwritten challans. Mandatory replenishment studies have been made applicable to all sand mines under the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020. Leaseholders have also been directed to conduct DGPS surveys, maintain dispatch registers, and install CCTV cameras and signboards at mining sites.

Providing enforcement statistics, Jena said that in FY 2024-25, officials carried out 4,361 raids, seized 4,676 vehicles, and collected fines worth ₹48.17 crore. Till July 31 of the current fiscal 2025-26, 2,873 raids have already been conducted, resulting in fines worth ₹18.41 crore.