Nalanda Sand Ghats E-Auction: 16 Sites Up for Bids on Jan 30 to Tackle Sand Crisis

• Bihar's Mining Department announced an e-auction for 16 sand ghats in Nalanda district on January 30.
• The online process aims for transparency, inviting more contractors to bid for the long-stalled settlements.
• Previous auctions since 2020 failed due to technical issues, COVID, reduced sand quantity, and high settlement amounts.
• A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for January 5, with document uploads from January 8-17, and eligible bidders list by January 24.
• Experts cite decreased sand quality/quantity in rivers and high settlement costs as major reasons for past contractor reluctance.

Why It Matters: Nalanda's 16 sand ghats go for e-auction on Jan 30, aiming to resolve the district's persistent sand crisis.