Jharkhand CM Soren announces free sand for poor for home construction

RANCHI: Amid a sand crisis in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced during Tuesday’s monsoon session of the state assembly that sand will be provided free of charge to the poor, exempt from income tax, for house construction.

According to Soren, the issue of sand is being raised again and again in the House, which is required for the construction of Abua Awas, PM Awas, or individual houses by the poor across the state, and they have to bear the brunt of the rising sand prices.

Speaking in the Jharkhand Assembly, Soren said that the decisions were taken after the issue of rising prices of sand due to its scarcity came to the attention of the government.

“Since the rising price of sand was being raised in the House, I want to inform the House and its members that sand will be made available for free to those who are non-taxpayers in the state,” said the Chief Minister.

“The decision is being taken considering that the poor, who are constructing their houses under Abua Awas, PM Awas, or personally, are not getting sand easily, and those who are getting it are getting it at a much higher price,” he added.