Fresh case against Naidu: AP CID alleges loss to state by sand policy under TDP

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (AP CID) has registered one more case against the former chief minister and TDP national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu in relation to the Free Sand Policy introduced by the TDP during his regime, benefiting a section of people and causing loss to the state exchequer and environment. This is the fifth case registered against TDP chief Naidu.

The alleged violations of sand mining policy pertain to the period from 2014 to 2019 when Naidu was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Former TDP MLAs, Chintamaneni Prabhakar, Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, and others were also named as accused in the FIR. The case was filed based on a complaint by VG Venkata Reddy, the director of Mines and Geology.

It may be recalled that Chandrababu Naidu was arrested and sent on judicial remand in the alleged multi-crore AP Skill Development Corporation scam case. He was also booked in the alleged scams involving Amaravati's inner ring road alignment, FiberNet, and liquor policy. Naidu has been released from Rajahmundry Central Prison on interim bail after serving 52 days of judicial custody in the alleged Rs 371 crore AP Skill Development Corporation scam.

Free Sand Policy

In the complaint, Venkata Reddy said the TDP government brought the Free Sand Policy on March 2, 2016, through a GO. “There is neither factual and legal justification nor preparatory decision-making process anywhere shown in the record for Free Sand Policy. The policy was done as per the recommendations of a committee supported by the State Cabinet,” the FIR said.

The CID in the FIR mentioned that Chandrababu Naidu changed the sand policy in 2014 after he came to power, keeping the sand reaches with the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC). As per the policy, sand mining was given to the district and mandal mahila samakhyas (SHGs).

The sand policy was again reviewed in 2016 on the basis of a cabinet sub-committee report and approved by the Cabinet through a GO on January 15, 2016. This resulted in mining contracts being given through a tender-cum-e-auction process.

But in two months, on March 4, 2016, a memo was issued making changes to the sand policy and giving sand free of cost to people. Government orders were also issued on March 6, 2016, bringing in free sand policy in the state, the police officials said in the FIR.

‘No checks in place to stop indiscriminate mining’

There were no regulations or checks and balances to prevent indiscriminate mining and no prescription of maximum or minimum quantities was notified, the CID officials mentioned.

While implementing the Free Sand Policy, even the statutory dues, running into crores of rupees, which are liable to be paid by the exploiters of the mineral resources have not been secured by the government which resulted in loss of lawful earnings due to the government.

Based on this complaint, a case in No 19/2003 under Sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust) read with 34 common intention to commit criminal act) of IPC and Section 13(1)(d) read with section 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 was registered with the AP CID police station in Mangalagiri.