AP govt streamlines material supply for Amaravati works

Vijayawada: Principal secretary for mines, geology and excise Mukesh Kumar Meena said the state govt is taking all necessary steps to ensure easy availability of essential construction materials such as gravel and sand for contractors engaged in Amaravati development works.Acting on the directions of the chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the govt is maintaining transparency in granting mining permissions while also simplifying procedures to speed up approvals, Meena said. He reviewed the progress with representatives of major firms, including L&T, Megha Engineering, NCC, BSCPL and RVR, at a meeting held at the Secretariat in coordination with the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) on Tuesday.Meena said the focus is on supplying materials from the nearest possible locations to minimise transportation costs and logistical challenges. He also asked contractors to submit advance estimates of their requirements for gravel, sand and soil to enable better planning and uninterrupted supply.During the meeting, contractors flagged issues related to forest clearances in the Krishna district. Responding to this, Meena sought details from district collector Balaji and stressed that no work should be stalled due to procedural hurdles. He underlined that all issues must be resolved swiftly and officials should prioritise solutions over bottlenecks, in line with directions issued during the recent collectors' conference.CRDA commissioner Kannababu said that in certain cases, contractors may need to source materials from distant locations to ensure quality standards, and sought their cooperation in such situations.Contractors expressed satisfaction over the faster pace of clearances compared to the past and said that material allocations are being made as required. Director of mines Chandrasekhar, district collectors from nearby regions and other senior officials participated in the hybrid meeting.