B'lore: Govt Acts Tough Against Sand-truckers’ Stir, Terms Strike 'Illegal'
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Dec 8: Firmly rejecting the demands of the truck operators and owners transporting sand, Karnataka government has termed the strike since Monday midnight across the state as "illegal."
"There is no question of renewal of permits for sand extraction and transportation in areas other than notified ones," he said making it clear that the government would take tough action against the striking lorry owners and operators as the strike was likely to affect the construction industry in urban areas.
The transport minister, who addressed a news conference, indicated that he would hold discussion with the chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and the home minister Dr V S Acharya for initiating suitable action against the truck operators and owners.
The Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners’ and Agents Associations’ launched the strike to press for renewal of permits for sand transportation and to resolve issues relating to sand extraction.
Ashok said the government held several rounds of talks with the federation leaders but they remained adamant and were rigid about their unreasonable demands. "We cannot allow these people to hold the government and the construction industry to ransom," he declared.
However, the lorry owners and operators continued to violate the law and extract sand and transport it from places surrounding Bangalore.
Extraction of sand in Chickaballapur district had caused damage to farm fields, bridges and the water table. The lorry owners had been misusing permits and transporting sand in excess of the 10 tonnes permitted, the minister said.
The minister, who met Union Rural Development Minister P C Joshi in New Delhi a few days ago, said he has urged the Centre to grant funds under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) for providing training for bus drivers hailing from rural areas.
A memorandum was submitted to Joshi seeking funds under the NREGS to provide bus service to each village in the State.
The Centre has been providing funds for improving bus services only in urban areas under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The State Transport Department has decided to introduce 1,000 buses in Bangalore City by utilising funds under the JNNURM.
Referring to the Akrama-Sakrama scheme for regularisation of unauthorised housing layouts and violations in building bylaws, he said there was no question of reducing the penalties fixed by the Government.
The penalty fixed by the Government was less than 50 per cent compared to the penalty fixed by the earlier governments, he claimed.
The exact amount of penalty will be known only after drafting of rules for regularization of the violation of building bylaws. The penalty will be collected from owners of unauthorised constructions only after notification of rules, which would take at least three months, he added.