Districts in Raj told to boost M-sand production

Jaipur: Mines department Monday issued a letter to all district collectors instructing them to prepare an action plan to facilitate establishment of M-sand manufacturing units. The move comes in response to a directive from the chief minister during a meeting held April 2.

District collectors have been directed to take necessary steps for issuing permits for waste dumps and to identify and auction plots for M-sand units, as alaos for masonry stone plots. Principal secretary (mines) T Ravikanth said directions have also been issued to raise public awareness about the use of M-sand and to ensure that at least 50% of construction work undertaken by govt and non-govt institutions uses M-sand.

"This initiative will facilitate establishment of new units, encourage investment, generate employment, and ensure better utilisation of overburden from mining. M-sand availability will reduce demand for river sand," Ravikanth said.

The letter addressed to the collectors states, "To enhance the availability of M-sand as an alternative to river sand, the department is moving forward with a target of increasing the current annual production of 8 million tonnes by 20% every year, reaching 30 million tonnes by 2028-29."

As per records, 24 plots were successfully auctioned for establishment of M-sand units during the recently concluded financial year. The state launched a new M-sand policy on Dec 4, 2024, with a strong emphasis on promoting M-Sand an alternative to river sand.

Under the revised policy, previous eligibility conditions—such as three years of experience and a turnover of Rs 3 crore—have been removed, along with several other procedural relaxations.