KSMDCL bid to sell sand dredged from Malampuzha

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (KSMDCL) has initiated steps to sell the sand dredged from Malampuzha, which was lying unused on the banks of the dam.The sand will be washed back to the dam, if not removed before this monsoon. The delay was caused due to a Vigilance probe following complaints of irregularities in desilting of Malampuzha, Walayar and Chulliyar dams.Sources at KSMDCL said that discussions had been held with Palakkad District Collector in this regard. The Vigilance team too have ensured that the report on the probe will be submitted soon. The Vigilance probe was initiated after the core committee, which went through the files, found that the figures presented by the KSMDCL on the sand desilted from the reservoirs were different from the quantity sold and which was lying on the banks. The committee found that there was a shortage of 98,138 cubic metres of sand dredged from these dams.Sources said that around two lakh cubic metres of sand is lying on the yard and one lakh on the banks of the dam. It is alleged that a sand mafia in the state was trying to torpedo the ambitious project of the government which would fetch more than Rs 500 crore to the state exchequer. Referring to the quality of the sand from the dam, they pointed out that earlier, the government had given permission to private parties for carrying out desilting. Before the Corporation took over the project, it was auctioned for Rs 23 lakh for sand mining to private parties.  Palakkad Vigilance DySP Satheesan said that the probe and sale of the sand are different. The Corporation can sell the sand at any time as it will not cause any hindrance to the investigation.‘’The probe is regarding the quantity of sand mined from the dam. If steps are being taken for the sale, then it will be helpful for the investigation because the actual quantity of sand sold would be revealed,’’ he said.Former Irrigation Minister N K Premachandran, who initiated the project along with the then Finance Minister, Thomas Isaac, said that the prestigious project would have increased the storage capacity of the dams and checked illegal sand mining. The State Government has not taken any initiatives for desilting which would have increased the revenue from this project. The desilting process at Malampuzha alone was providing employment to 1,000 people.