Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)

Udupi, Jul 1: Thirteen organizations of owners and workers held meeting across party lines to hold protests urging for a permanent solution for sand issue.

The organizations in the meeting held at the office of building owners and construction workers on June 30 said that the issue of sand is found during the last four years. “Several organizations have held independent protests and submitted their petitions. The district administration has only made false promises and not solved the problem. More such problems are likely this year. The workers are in fear of losing their jobs as red stone quarries and rock stone quarries are being prevented from work.”

The meeting decided to hold the protests as a movement with people’s support. Leaders of 13 organizations decided to meet the deputy commissioner in stages, submit their grievances and hold roundtable conferences. If sand mining does not begin even after that, the organizations will decide jointly on indefinite protests in villages, DC office chalo and violent protests.

Udupi district construction workers association president Shekar Bangera, chief secretary Balakrishna Shetty, Dayanand Kotian, Maraligagi horata committee leaders Sathyaraj Birthi, lorry owners association district leader Pravin Kumar Katpady, lorry owner’s association’s Raghavendra Shetty, Kundapur taluk building worker’s association secretary Suresh Kallagara, Byndoor building worker’s association leaders Venkatesh Koni, CITU district president P Vishwanath Rao, district chief secretary K Shanker, district treasurer Shashidhar Golla, CITU taluk secretary Kavirarj and Vittal Poojary were present.