Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (EP)
Kundapur, Jul 26: "Accidents will occur if the stone quarries are left open without safety fencing after quarrying. Quarry owners fence the quarries. License of the stone quarries will not be renewed if they do not fence the areas they operate. The department of mining has already issued a notice. Rs 85 lacs are set aside to close orphaned stone quarries, informed assistant commissioner and executive president of the task force," Shilpa Nag.
She was speaking at a programme on safety of women and children held at Kundapur taluk panchayat auditorium on Tuesday, July 25 by taluk panchayat Kundapur, Makkala Hakkugala Jari Pade, Kundapur Taluk Women’s Associations, CWC and Namma Bhoomi Namma Samsthe.
“Kotalingeshwara lake will be fenced. Children from schools and colleges find it difficult to cross four lane roads. Proper solutions will be implemented over it. There will be discussions held regarding difficulties faced by rural children as private schools within two kilometers radius are taken into consideration to be paid travel allowance," she said.
Childrens' association representative Pavan Kumar, and Makkala Mithra's Sharad Movadi expressed their opinions about the danger posed by stone quarries, Renuka Gujjadi spoke about problems of migrants and Jyothi Hosmata and Mithre Devi spoke about illegal sale of liquor.
Beejadi gram panchayat member Ravindra Dodmane said that Kotalingeshwara Temple lake is risky and requested for steel fencing around the lake. Gopadi gram panchayat member Suresh Shetty asked for suitable arrangement for students of schools near four lane roads to cross the roads. Gram panchayat member Prabhaker Shetty said that names of migrant workers should be entered by respective panchayat as people without shelter.
CWC company executive director Damodar Acharya said that campaigns for childrens' rights under democratic system has started in Kundapur. “It has developed to the extent of holding a government level meeting starting from Kundapur taluk Keradi gram panchayat," he said.
CWC’s Kripa N M provided figures of affected people. Srinivasa Ganiga Kanyana conducted the discussions.
Task force committee president, taluk panchayat president Jayashree Mogaveera, and secretary Chinnappa Moily were present.