AP Govt Reserves 33% Quarry Leases for Vaddera Cooperative Societies
Amaravati, June 23 (TNT):The Andhra Pradesh government has amended the Andhra Pradesh Minor Mineral Concession (APMMC) Rules, 1966, providing for preferential allotment of 33 per cent of quarry leases for certain minor minerals to registered Vaddera Cooperative Societies.
The amendment was notified through G.O. Ms. No. 126 issued by the Industries and Commerce (Mines-II) Department on Tuesday.
According to the order, the preferential allotment will apply to quarry leases for Building Stone, Dimensional Stone used for Kerbs and Cubes, Morrum/Gravel and Ordinary Earth, Road Metal and Ballast, Rough Stone/Boulders, and Slate.
The government said the Vaddera community has traditionally been engaged in quarrying activities but has had limited access to formal quarry leases.
The move aims to promote social equity, protect traditional occupational rights and support inclusive economic development.
Under the amended rules, applications for the specified minerals will be processed through a new slot-based evaluation system, with the calendar year divided into eight evaluation periods of about 45 days each.
Applications received during a slot will be scrutinised together after the expiry of the respective period.
The rules provide that up to 33 per cent of the allottable quarry area in a district can be earmarked for registered Vaddera Cooperative Societies.
Each society will be eligible for preferential allotment up to a maximum of 12 hectares, the order stated..
The government has also extended financial incentives to such societies, including a 50 per cent concession on seigniorage fees and a 50 per cent reduction in premium amounts payable for leases granted under the preferential allotment framework.
Preference among competing Vaddera societies for the same quarry parcel will be given first to societies registered in the same village, followed by those from the same mandal and thereafter based on the chronology of applications.
The order further stipulates that leases granted under the preferential scheme cannot be assigned, sub-let or transferred to entities other than registered Vaddera Cooperative Societies, failing which the lease may be cancelled.
Officials said the preferential allotment mechanism will come into force after the successful disposal of a proposed 100-hectare Vaddera Quarry Pool identified and reserved by the government.
Until then, applications for the concerned minerals will continue to be processed under the existing first-come, first-served system.
TNT KM
