Pics: Joshwa D'Souza 

Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru (JD)

Mangaluru, Sep 26: Urging the district administration to lift the ban on sand mining the Dakshina Kannada District Construction Raw Material Suppliers and Supply Vehicle Owners Association staged a protest in front the deputy commissioner’s(DC)s office on Monday, September 26.

Addressing the gathered the district president of the civil contractors association Purushotham Kottary urged the administration to lift the sand mining ban and stop playing with the lives of many dependents on mining.

"How can the city become smart city if there is no sand for the construction activities? Until the sand was not transported to the other districts in the state or it was transported to the other states there was no scarcity of sand in the district and every poor man could build his house at an affordable rate,” Kottary said.

“After the sand was taken outside the district, Mafia started here its operations. Here the sand mining and transportation has been prohibited, while it is being taken outside the district in the broad daylight. The poor contractor who mines the sand in the traditional way has to face the trial while the rich contractors who are part of the mafia supported by the politicians use their influence and bribe the officials. Even the officials who have to pay heed to the politicians have no go other than being a part of the mafia. The administration must ban the sand transportation outside the distinct and lift the ban for the mining here. If this is followed, then the sky rocketed sand prices will come down automatically and the sand will be available to everyone." Kottary added.

Speaking on the occasion the vice president of the minority wing of the Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP) Franklin Monteiro said "The illegal sand mining is being carried out with the help of the district in-charge minister. Now the sand mining has been banned in the name of CRZ regulations. Where are the CRZ regulations when hotels and resorts are constructed on the sea shore? I address the in-charge minister and the deputy commissioner and tell them not to test our patience. Do not let us take law into our hands. Even we have the right to live. Today all of us pledge that we will not use the machines for the sand mining and use only the traditional way of sand mining."

District president of the association Randeep Kanchan, president of the Tulu Rakshana Vedike Yogish Shetty Jeppu, president of the Kannada Rakshana Vedike (Narayana Gowda group) Anil Das and others were present.