Govt. gets ready to sink sand mafia

By Ifham Nizam

The Presidential Task Force had intervened to put an end to sand being sold at exorbitant prices, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

Amaraweera yesterday said a cube of sand bought from Manampitiya for Rs. 14,000 is sold in the market at Rs. 55,000. “If this situation is not brought under control, the price of sand will exceed Rs. 60,000 in a very short period of time,” he said.

He said that PTF had recommended that state-owned entities intervene to control runaway sand price increase.

Amaraweera said that he had discussed the problems with several sand transport drivers’ associations at the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday.

Plans were afoot to entrust buying and distribution of sand to 100 per cent state owned Technical Services Company under the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB).