MLAs for Coastal Karnataka press CM for separate sand mining policy

MANGALURU: MLAs from the coastal districts of the state on Thursday urged chief minister B S Yediyurappa to formulate a separate sand mining policy for the three districts. With sand mining practice in the coast unique and different from rest of the state in that it is done manually using boats, the MLAs impressed on Yediyurappa to bifurcate the policy that will help the local administration supply this vital mineral to people at affordable cost.
A delegation headed by Dakshina Kannada district minister Kota Shrinivas Poojari urged the CM to remove restrictions on mining of sand along the river course.With the manual practice of sand mining used only on the coast, uniform sand mining policy for the state will lead to shortage of sand and also lead to hike in its cost. A bifurcated policy will also ensure that sand mined in the district equitably made available to stakeholders, they said
Non-availability of sand has hampered execution of various development works - both individual and government sponsored projects. The Civil Contractors Association accusing elected representatives of paying lip sympathy to the issue had rued their inability to purchase sand using the 'DK Sand Bazaar' app and steep hike in price of per truck load of sand. The construction sector has taken a major hit due to this issue, the CAA maintained.
Referring to the recent spate of heavy rains that the district has received, Poojari urged the CM to release interim flood relief grants to the district administration. This will facilitate the administration to provide relief to the affected families, the minister said. MLAs Sanjeeva Matandoor, Y Bharat Shetty, Vedavyas Kamath, S Angara, Rajesh Naik, Umanath Kotian, MLC Pratap Simha Nayak were part of the delegation that met the CM.