Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government will provide two tractor-loads of sand free of cost to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for the construction of their houses, announced Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday.

He stated that beneficiaries will also be issued permits to avail sand at an affordable rate across the state. The provision aims to ease the financial burden of those building homes under the Centre’s flagship housing scheme.

Minister Pujari informed that the proposal was discussed during the state cabinet meeting held on Friday.

In light of the recent attack on a senior revenue official by the sand mafia in Mayurbhanj district, the Minister also announced that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will soon be introduced to curb illegal sand mining.

Read: Odisha: Kaptipada Revenue official thrashed, vehicle torched by sand mafia in Mayurbhanj

As per the upcoming SOP, no heavy vehicles will be permitted to enter riverbeds to extract sand. Pujari added that strict action will be taken against illegal sand miners and those behind such attacks.

“While the administration is working to stop illegal sand mining, this attack at Kaptipada reflects the audacity of the sand mafia—resembling the lawlessness seen in parts of West Bengal and Bihar,” he said. “Regardless of how powerful the culprits are, I have directed the investigating agency to arrest them. This is a grave crime, and no sand mafia will be spared.”