Nalgonda tops in sand tax collection, rakes in Rs 88 cr

Hyderabad: The Sand Taxi system started by the state government to deliver sand at the consumer’s doorstep in a transparent manner has helped the mining department increase its revenue. Nalgonda topped the state in collection of sand tax, generating a revenue of Rs 88 crore in eight months.
The system has also successfully put an end to illegal sand mining which was rampant as a result of the nexus between politicians, sand traders and government officials.“Any customer can book sand on Sand Taxi portal just like he/she would book a cab on Uber or Ola. The customer, as well as vehicle driver, gets a message and the sand is delivered to the buyer. This has helped put and end to illegal sand mining. In Nalgonda, the state earned the highest revenue. This was possible only due to the coordination between the departments,” said Nalgonda superintendent of police Avula Ranganath.
The system, which works on the mechanism of One Time Password, calculates the amount based on the quantity and distance from the sand reach to the destination point. The buyer selects the payment method and after successful payment, a booking ID is generated. Customers can check the booking status by entering the ID.
Vertonix IT Solutions Pvt Ltd operates the Sand Taxi website. The rate chart varies from district to district. Transport charges range from Rs 50 to Rs 70 per km, while the loading charges range from Rs 300 to Rs 500. The seigniorage fee is Rs 120, around Rs 40 are levied for other charges while the village fund is around Rs 200 to Rs 300.