The Maharashtra government is set to announce a 'Zero Royalty' policy on inter-state sand imports, aimed at easing an acute construction-sector shortage and ensuring timely availability of sand for public housing schemes. Revenue Minister Chandrasekhar Bawankule confirmed on Wednesday in the Legislative Council that the policy decision will be finalised before the conclusion of the ongoing assembly session.

Key Provisions of the Zero Royalty Policy

The policy will apply specifically to border districts — Nandurbar, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, and Amravati — where local sand reserves are either insufficient or not yet operational. Districts with abundant local sand resources will not be granted priority access to inter-state sand under this scheme.

Transportation of inter-state sand will be permitted only during daytime hours, with a complete ban on nighttime transit. For sand to be imported from Gujarat or other states, the District Collector of the exporting state must formally communicate sand availability to the respective Collector in Maharashtra, after which a mutual tie-up between both Collectors will be established.

Why Maharashtra Cannot Levy Double Royalty

Citing Supreme Court directives, Minister Bawankule clarified that Maharashtra cannot impose a double royalty on sand that has already paid royalty in the state of origin. 'In alignment with Supreme Court directives, Maharashtra cannot levy a double royalty on sand that has already paid royalty in Gujarat. Consequently, the state does not generate revenue from this,' he stated.

However, the government is legally exploring the option of levying nominal transit or transport charges — while maintaining the Zero Royalty framework — to generate funds for rural road repairs under the Mineral Development Fund. This comes amid concerns that heavy vehicles carrying 20 to 30 tonnes of sand are severely damaging rural roads.

Nandurbar's Sand Crisis and the Tapi Riverbed Question

The policy announcement followed a Calling Attention Motion moved by MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi regarding the acute sand shortage in Nandurbar district and challenges surrounding sand imports from Gujarat. Raghuvanshi pointed out that while the Tapi riverbed in Nandurbar holds abundant sand reserves, traditional extraction is impossible as the river flows year-round. He noted that neighbouring Gujarat permits suction pumps for continuous sand extraction, a provision currently absent in Maharashtra.

In response, Minister Bawankule stated that the government is introducing a special proposal to allow suction pump operations in the Tapi riverbed, strictly within volume limits approved by the Environment Department. He noted that similar policy-based permissions for suction pumps have previously been granted in select coastal areas of the Konkan region.

Online Monitoring and War Room to Check Illegal Sand Mining

To curb illegal sand transportation, an online monitoring system has been developed in collaboration with central government public sector unit RailTel, which has also been awarded the contract for supervising sand transport statewide — replacing the previous government's 'Shaurya' agency, whose contract has expired. All middleman mechanisms have reportedly been dismantled.

A state-level 'War Room' has been operationalised at the Konkan Divisional Commissioner's office, with the Commissioner appointed as Nodal Officer. Every sand-carrying truck in Maharashtra will be tracked online through this centralised system, according to the Minister.

With the policy expected to be formalised within the current assembly session, the construction sector and government housing programmes in Maharashtra's border districts are set for a significant supply relief — provided inter-state coordination mechanisms are activated swiftly.