TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu staged a protest here on Thursday, alleging that the Y S Jaganmohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government had made a "quid pro quo" deal with the cement industry which has led to an "artificial" shortage of sand in the state.
Naidu demanded a relief of Rs 10,000 per month to all construction workers and Rs 25 lakh compensation for the kin of 42 construction workers who allegedly committed suicide, the party said in a statement.
He also demanded that the YSR Congress Party government restore the free sand policy to save workers associated with the construction sector, it said.
According to the statement, Naidu staged a 12-hour protest in Vijayawada to highlight the plight of over 35 lakh workers of construction and allied fields affected by the shortage of sand.
"Jagan, your thoughts are criminal, your wish is to make money come what may. But you cannot cheat people all the time," Naidu said.
He alleged that Chief Minister Reddy has "entered into a quid pro quo arrangement with cement industry to benefit from artificial sand crisis."
"Sand is natural and an endowment of God. Why restrictions on it," the former chief minister said, addressing the gathering assembled at the Dharna Chowk here.
The Telugu Desam Party chief also refuted the government's argument that floods have washed away sand reaches in Krishna and Godavari rivers, saying at least 125 different kinds of construction activities have come to a grinding halt in the past five months.
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He also criticised the state government for bringing a new law making sand hoarding and transportation a criminal activity. "Using sand from own land to build your own house will be now considered illegal," he added.
The Andhra government on September 4 announced a new sand mining policy, scrapping the free sand policy implemented by the previous government in the state.
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