A.P. govt. issues comprehensive guidelines to curb illegal mining of sand and other minerals

VIJAYAWADA The government on Friday issued comprehensive interim guidelines to strengthen inter-departmental coordination for preventing illegal mining and transportation of sand and other minerals across the State. It assigned clear responsibilities for various departments and provided for time-bound verification of complaints, joint field inspections, stringent enforcement measures and accountability of derelict officials. The order (G.O.

Ms.No.278) was issued by Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad in compliance with the directions of the AP High Court in W.P. (PIL) No.

227 of 2026 filed by Amanchi Krishna Mohan against the State government concerning illegal sand mining in Bapatla district. In its order dated October 1, 2026, the court directed the government to formulate comprehensive guidelines to ensure effective prevention of illegal mining and fix responsibility on officials entrusted with enforcement duties.