Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Mar 16: The district unit of BJP Backward Class Morcha on Wednesday March 16 staged a strong protest near DC office's, Rajathadri, Manipal here opposing the sand mining policy of the Congress-led state government and the 'irresponsibility' shown by the government and the Udupi district administration in dealing with the shortage of sand. They also issued a deadline of one week to the government to solve the matter.

MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary addressing the protesters said, "The sand mining licences expired on January 22. Sand mining has stopped as the licenses were not renewed on time.

"Construction works on nearly 2,500 buildings in the district have stopped because of the unavailability of sand and about 75,000 labourers have become unemployed," he said.

"During BJP's tenure in the district, a royalty of Rs 6 crore was paid to the government. The government has to release 25% of this amount to gram panchayats, but it has stopped doing so. The same problem had been discussed in the cabinet also. The minister concerned should make arrangements to transport sand from Uttara Kannada district if needed to solve the problem here," Poojary said.

"How can poor people buy sand to build houses at its present rate? The economy is falling. What is the district in-charge minister (Vinay Kumar Sorake) doing to solve the issue?

"The BJP Backward Class Morcha will give one week's time to the state government to take a decision in the matter, failing which, the morcha Members will take the initiative to distribute sand to the poor families. If the government has guts, it can arrest us anytime," he challenged the state government.

Former MLA Raghupati alleged that that district in-charge minister has been indulging in 'revenge politics'. "The state government's sand policy has hit the people of the coastal area. Coastal Regulation Zone rules were enforced during the UPA government. A committee including state ministers was supposed to meet the central government and urge amendments in the CRZ rules, but so far, it has not. Instead of making amendments in CRZ, the issue has been allowed to stagnate.

"The present sand policy has also hit the traditional sand miners. The district in-charge minister is helping his followers reap its benefits," he alleged.

"Tippers and JCB owners are dominating the poor labourers and exporting sand to other districts. This should stop completely and immediately," he added.

Former MLA Lalaji Mendon, Sukumar Shetty, Siddhesh, state chief secretary of BJP Backward Class Morcha, Satish Yadav, Uday Kumar Shetty, Geethanjali Suvarna, Reshma Shetty and others were present.