Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Aug 26: Former minister Ramanath Rai said that the new sand policy of the government of giving sand extraction to Karnataka State Minerals Corporation Limited is like inciting illegal sand extraction. This will cause inconvenience to traditional sand mining.

Ramanath Rai was speaking at the press conference that was held at Dakshina Kannada district Congress office on Wednesday, August 26. He further said that during the tenure of Congress government it had taken the permission union environment department and allowed sand extraction under Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) project.

Rai further said, "During our tenure we had earned Rs 3.13 crore in 2013-14, Rs 3.47 crore in 2014-15, Rs 5.11 crore in 2015-16, Rs 3.15 crore in 2016-17, Rs 3.49 crore in 2017-18, Rs 4.08 crore in 2018-19 and Rs. 5.25 crore in 2019-20 to the state treasury by sand mining. But as illegal sand mining is in progress at present the state treasury is losing money."

"Due to this, the then deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada had given opportunity for 105 people based on seniority, who had sand extraction licence that was obtained prior to 2011. Rest non-CRZ areas were given for sand mining through tender process. Due to this crores of rupees were collected to the state treasury also. Now the BJP government has hatched a plan to pass over the sand extraction to the entrepreneurs, which will cause trouble to traditional sand extractors," said Ramanath Rai.

Rai further accused the BJP government and said, "At present there is no issue of sand in the district of Dakshina Kannada. The reason for this is the rampant illegal sand mining that is going on in the district. Sand mining is going on in some new blocks which are non-CRZ also. Sand mining permission is not given to CRZ area. Even then with the cooperation of MLAs and wrong policy of the BJP government illegal sand extraction is going on since last nine months."

Former mayors Harniath, Shashidhar Hegde, Kavita Sanil, Congress leaders Naveen D'Souza, Prithviraj, Sadashiv Ullal, Shubodhya Alava and Neeraj pal were present.