Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Aug 12: The Karnataka government is set to introduce new regulations to permit laterite stone mining in Dakshina Kannada and other coastal districts in accordance with the law.

A high-level meeting on the issue was held at Vidhana Soudha today under the leadership of Assembly speaker U T Khader and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda, mines and geology minister S S Mallikarjun, rural development minister Priyank Kharge, Uttara Kannada district in-charge minister Mankal Vaidya, Udupi district in-charge minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, MLAs from various parties representing the coastal districts, and senior officials attended.

Officials from the department of mines and geology briefed participants on the steps being taken to remove hurdles to laterite mining and to implement revised rules discussed in earlier preparatory meetings. The department is preparing a draft standard operating procedure (SOP) to simplify licensing for non-commercial laterite quarries.

Dinesh Gundu Rao instructed the department to ensure that mining licences are issued quickly and easily, ideally within a month of application. He stressed the urgent need for laterite in local construction and housing projects, and urged officials to prioritise applications from genuine miners.

Presiding over the meeting, U T Khader directed the department to address issues related to levelling land and drilling for construction purposes. He also called for a reduction in royalty rates and for a lawful framework to facilitate laterite mining in the district.