The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Granite mining changes the face of this hamlet

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Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Granite mining changes the face of this hamlet

Staff Reporter

Tan brown variety granite quarried in Odyaram reaps rich dividends

15 granite quarries functioning; income touches Rs. 50 lakh
Villagers exempted from taxes due to increased revenue

— Photo: Uppu Damodar

Goldmine: The granite quarry operations in full swing at Odyaram village .

ODYARAM (KARIMNAGAR DT): Thanks to the availability of abundant natural resources especially ‘tan brown’ granite, this tiny village located on the Karimnagar-Sircilla road has set record in the State for the highest collection of taxes by a small gram panchayat.

Located 20 km from the district headquarters, Odyaram village in Gangadhara mandal with a population of 2,500 is surrounded by hillocks comprising valuable tan brown export quality granite. Though, the granite excavations started from the year 1988, it had been a low-key affair with just about one or two granite quarries.

The granite industry gained momentum in the district in general and Odyaram village in particular, since the last seven to eight years, with supply of several lakhs of cubic metres of granite export to Beijing and Thailand.

Model village

Presently, around 15 granite quarries are excavating the precious granite from the village and bringing in additional income to the gram panchayat.

Village Sarpanch S. Janardhan Rao told ‘The Hindu’ that the panchayat income had touched nearly Rs. 50 lakh per annum because of quarrying activities. It has been emerging as a model village in the State.

“The granite quarry operations has helped the gram panchayat to attain self-sufficiency with the increase in revenue collection. We are taking developmental works on our own and solved all the problems in the village,” he maintained.

He also said that they had stopped collection of house tax, water taxes from the villagers because of increase in the revenue due to quarries.

Funds spent

He said that so far, they had spend about Rs. 3 crore on various developmental works such as laying of CC roads, construction of overhead tanks, repair of irrigation tank to stabilise around 350 acres of ayacut, individual latrine scheme, etc.

They have also erected a purified water treatment plant at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh to provide mineral water free of cost to the villagers.

The sarpanch said that they were planning to widen the roads in the village by taking up underground drainage works, construction of community halls, ‘Kalyana Mandapam’, health sub-centre, veterinary hospital, etc.

The gram panchayat had also focused on achieving 100 per cent literacy by introducing adult education programme.

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