Udupi: “We will have day and night sit-in protests in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office at Rajathadri on October 25, if permission to extract sand is not given by the Udupi district administration, said MLA Raghupathi Bhat.
Speaking at the Udupi Press Club on Friday, October 19, he informed that a meeting in this regard would be held at Bannanje Narayanaguru Auditorium on October 22 where a final appeal would be submitted to the DC.
Speaking about the protest, he said that they had decided to carry out a peaceful protest as the election code of conduct applies to the Udupi district as well. He then claimed that the district administration did not intend to allow sand extraction. “There are still six more days. Tipper lorries have already suspended their work as a protest. They will also join our protest on October 25 along with the construction workers, sand mining campaign committee members and other labour class people. There has been no development event after the chief minister’s visit. At least now the district administration should wake up,” he said.
“They said that sand would be made available after October 15. A meeting was also held in this connection. Small sand lorries are being fined Rs 5000 even though there is permission for traditional sand mining. The DC is not executing the chief minister’s orders. The DC can get herself transferred if she is scared of getting into trouble with the green tribunal. The sand problem has affected a lot of work in Udupi,” he added.
“Our main demand is that 30 people should get a lease. A digital CRZ map is ready. Sand extraction should be allowed in Udupi as Kundapur comes under Byndoor eco zone. Permission was given to as many as 171 for sand mining in the past and leases were given to 109 people in non-CRZs,” he said.
He also demanded that a scientific survey be conducted by NITK and sand mounds be identified soon. He then informed that the M G Nagendra and sand campaign committee, building construction materials association and traders will be holding a bandh in Udupi from November 7.
Pradeep Shetty, President, Engineers’ Association, Kundapur; Sudheer Shetty, Secretary, CREDAI, Udupi; Vice President and Secretary of Engineers’ Association, Nandakumar and Manjunath, Gopal Bhat and Chandrashekar Nayari were present.
