Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (UM)

Udupi, Dec 13: The leaders and party workers of the Congress held a meeting in connection with sand extraction here on Wednesday December 12.

During the meeting the Congress leaders alleged that when Pramod Madhwaraj was the district -in-charge minister, he had put pressure on the DC and had provided 165 sand extraction permits. The permits had allowed extraction of 9 lakh tones of sand from 28 blocks. MLA Raghupati Bhat had assured that if he becomes the MLA, he would solve the sand issue. But even after 6 months, he has failed to fulfill his promise.

The district administration has permission to clearance of 5 sand blocks in CRZ area in Udupi and Brahmavar. Out of 45 people, the administration permitted 11 of them to extract sand. The current MLA is preventing sand extraction through his supporters. The locals must get sand at the earliest, they said.

In the meeting former minister Pramod Madhwaraj, district Congress president Janardhan Thonse, general secretory B Narasimha Murthy, youth Congress leader Prashanth Poojary and otrhers were present.