Kathmandu, September 23:

For the first time, the Kathmandu District Development Committee (DDC) has invited bids for sand mining from authorised mines in Kathmandu district.

Mahendra Lal Shrestha, local development officer at the DDC, Kathmandu, said, “We have invited four bids for this fiscal to minimise revenue loss from illegal sand mining in Kathmandu.”

DDC has invited four bids worth Rs 5.55 million for Kapan, Gothatar, Mulpani, Pukulachi and Dachhi areas and Rs 6.17 lakh for Ichanku, Sitapaila, Ramkot, Badbhanjang and Dahachok areas.

A bid worth Rs 12.5 million has been invited for 10 VDCs lying in the north-west of Balaju and Rs 1.75 lakh for sand-mining from five VDCs in Dakshinkali.

The tender with the greatest value has been re-tendered as none applied for the tender, said Adhikari.

Achuyat Adhikari, an officer at the DDC, said last fiscal the DDC collected Rs 13.7 million in revenue from the sand miners. “An authorised miner used to pay Rs 2 per cubic feet sand to the DDC. Now the contractor, who gets the tender, will be paying the same tariff along with 13 per cent VAT to the DDC,” added Adhikari.

Adhikari said the DDC was expecting a 25 per cent increase in its revenue following the move. He said, “Invitation of bids will not only help reduce revenue loss; it will also make our work a lot easier as we will not have to deal with many miners for revenue.”

The contractors are allowed to mine sand from those sand mines, which are 50 metres away from the road and 200 metres away from the rivers.

In the fiscal year 2006/07, the DDC collected Rs 1,00,000 as fine from contractors illegally

carrying sand from the mines and rivers.

Fifty per cent of the fine was given to the police administration to encourage police officers.