Pics: Joshwa D'souza
Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru(JD)
Mangaluru, Sep 24: “The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike(Narayana Gowda group) will hold vigorous protest in front of DC's office unless the district administration does not lift the sand mining prohibition in the district with immediate effect,” said Anil Das, the district president of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike(Narayana Gowda group).
Addressing the media persons in city, he said, “No court has ordered the sand mining ban in the district and as per the circular of the ministry of forests of the union government, the mining is permitted in the district till April 10, 2017. The district administration too had banned the mining from June, 16 to August 8. But unfortunately the ban has not been lifted, which is encouraging the illegal transporters while the traditional miners of sand have been badly affected.”
“This has hampered thousands of sand workers who have no other source to earn their daily bread. Many staff who drive these vehicles and sand miners who have legally obtained the permit are repenting for it as they have not been able pay even the instalments of the vehicles.”
“The in-charge minister must intervene and act to the woes of all the people associated with the mining. There are organisations associated with the sand mining but they encourage the illegal mining and transportation along with many officials of the geology department.”
“All these officials must be punished and the traditional miners must be allowed to curb the illegal transportation, which has resulted in the rise of sand prices,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion the president of the civil contractors association Purushottam Kottary said, “There is a need to lift the sand for the movement of the boats. But here every day we find several large sized trucks carrying 20-25 tonnes of sand to Bengaluru, illegally. This has to be stopped if the sand has to be available for the construction activity in the district.”
Former president of the district consultant civil engineers association, Vijay Mallya, president Vinayak Pai and others were present.