The Karnataka government’s Department of Mines and Geology is building an app for people to buy sand at prices fixed by the administration, an official said on Tuesday.
“The department is building an app for people to buy sand from anywhere in Karnataka. Government will fix the price of sand and the transportation cost,” a department official was quoted by news agency IANS as saying.
Named ‘Maralu Mithra,’ the sand app, is expected to be available in three months’ time, said the official.
“The app enables a buyer to understand from which block he is buying the sand, how much quantity is available and the variety of sand,” the official added.
Unlike earlier ILMS system, this application enables both the transporter and the buyer to register on its page.
The Department of Mines and Geology is presently sampling the new system on a pilot study to take a final call based on its success.
While the state government hasn’t fixed the price of sand to be bought through the app, the official suggested it could be in the range of Rs 700 – Rs 750 per tonne.
Maralu Mithra app would be something like Ola, convenient and easy for buyers, according to the official.
“Knowledge on available quantity of sand, origin, quality, fixed price of both the sand and transportation and others are some of the advantages for buyers,” said the official.
Earlier, the sand was sold on the basis of first-come-first-serve.
Karnata’s Department of Mines and Geology regulates and controls mining and quarrying activities in the state while considering mineral conservation through a scientific framework among others.