Former Andhra Pradesh Minister Perni Nani, a YSRC leader who had been spearheading the state’s sand extraction politics, faces investigation into a serious charge – that his family, in contravention of norms, excavated sand in Machilipatnam for building their warehouses on some land acquired. The complaint of illegal mining surfaced during a preliminary inquiry ordered by the government recently.
Initial reports from the Mining Department show that around 31,000 tractor loads of sand were illegally extracted from the site. The Nani family had purchased 7.5 acres of agricultural land, out of which 6 acres were utilized for constructing two warehouses. Approximately 94,000 cubic meters of sand were allegedly extracted. This may fetch fines up to Rs 6 crore, at Rs 2,000 per tractor load.
This legal investigation follows closely on the heels of another ongoing controversy involving the missing ration rice case. In this case, Nani’s wife, Jaya Sudha, has paid Rs 1.70 crore of a total fine of Rs 3.37 crore, leaving an outstanding balance of Rs 1.67 crore.
AP Mining Department Head Srinivas Kumar confirmed that his team had visited the warehouse site and was finalizing the exact calculations of sand removed. Notices are to be issued to the warehouse management shortly, and criminal charges are also being considered. The authorities are also looking into the involvement of former MPDO and mining officials who may have facilitated the illegal mining activities.