Kolkata, Feb. 6 -- Aiming to make sand mining more scientific, sustainable and socially responsible, the West Bengal government has conducted auctions in multiple phases covering a large number of sand-mining blocks stretching around 2,316 hectares, according to official sources.
The auctions were carried out by the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation Ltd. (WBMDTCL) as part of the new Sand Mining Policy introduced by the state in 2021.
An additional 673 hectares have been lined up for auction, the sources said.
The government has also brought the entire mining life cycle - from excavation to transport and sale - under a centralised online system to ensure ease of doing business and transparency. As a result, the state...