Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)
Updated
Udupi, Aug 30: Chaos prevailed near Clock Tower here on Wednesday August 30 as the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) forcibly removed a 'pandal' set up by the BJP as its venue to hold a protest over sand mining.
The committee of sand miners led by the BJP backward classes morcha, town and rural units on Wednesday launched a protest against the district administration for halting extraction of sand from 45 out of the 168 traditional sand mining blocks.
The protestors then marched from the Clock Tower to the DC's office to submit their appeal. However, as soon as they left the venue, CMC officials and workers swooped down and removed the pandal.
The BJP had planned to stage a night-long protest under the pandal.
The CMC said that the pandal was dismantled as the protestors had not sought prior permission for the agitation. Moreover, the district administration has designated a particular spot near the DC's office for protest, but the pandal was not constructed here.
Irked by the CMC's move, the BJP leaders and other protestors staged a flash protest outside the DC's office.
Earlier, addressing the protest at the Clock Tower, former MP Jayaprakash Hegde said, "No one is following rules when it comes to one's own business. When a person is convicted for a crime, he is not allowed to stand for elections, but in sand mining issues, there is no conviction at all. Only certain people who visit the minister get immediate response but there is no sympathy for poor people's problems.
"The mining and geology department is least bothered about the sand mining problem. This issue does not need any high level of intelligence - just common sense is enough to sort out the problem. The district administration does not have the will to solve the problems of the coastal region," he said.
"There is a need not to form a separate new sand policy for Udupi district. A uniform policy should be framed for the three districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada. Construction labourers are sitting without job for months. They are living in a bad condition. Hence sand crisis in the district needs to be resolved immediately," he added.
Former Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat addressing the protesters said, "There is an artificial sand crisis created by district in-charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj and the district administration. If the DC does not take a final decision on the matter today, we will launch indefinite strike
"The Green Tribunal issued permit for traditional sand mining on August 5. But even after 25 days, no action has been taken by the district authority to implement the order. During the tenure of the earlier DCs, they provided permit for traditional sand extraction under CRZ. But now, the current DC has imposed a stay on 170 sand block owners, who had got permission earlier. The environment board has issued NOC for sand extraction. But the district administration is showing negligence over this burning issue. According to the order, the administration is supposed to allow sand mining," he said.
Bhat further alleged, "The district in-charge minister's only intention is to not provide sand. He is showing more interest in M sand production. If this continues, the rest of the 45 sand block owners will go to high court seeking stay order. Malpe fish mill's licence was renewed recently. If the mill can get renewal, why not sand mining?" Bhat questioned.
MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary also addressed the protest.
After the protest meet, a padayatra was held by BJP party workers from Clock Tower to DC's office in Manipal to submit an appeal regarding sand mining.
The leaders shouted slogans against the state government and the minister in-charge of Udupi district.
A detailed discussion was held with DC Priyanka Mary Francis and SP Sanjeev Patil regarding the issue, after which the BJP leaders agreed to withdraw the protest.
After the meeting, district BJP president Mattaru Ratnakar Hegde said, "We withdrew the protest based on the assurance given by the DC and the SP. On September 2, a sand committee members' meeting will be held.
"Out of 168 sand block owners, they will have to give permits to 164. If it is not done, we will hold a huge protest the same day. The DC has responded positively to the problems and we trust her words. After two days, we will come to a decision on sand mining," Hegde said.
Later the protestors dispersed on the instruction of Mattaru Ratnakar Hegde.
Regarding removal of pandal by the CMC said, Hegde said, "There is a general body meeting tomorrow (Thursday August 31). Councillors Dinakar Shetty Herga and Yashpal Suvarna will take the CMC commissioner into task. The commissioner should apologize to the BJP leaders publicly. If not, we will boycott him."
DC Priyanka told media persons, "We have already issued permits to 134 sand block holders and 30 applications are pending due to some border area problems. We will clear the applications after holding a meeting with the panchayats concerned. Four of the applicants face conviction. We will conduct a meeting with seven sand committee members. The decision will be taken later and permit will be issued as per the law."
Senior BJP leader Somshekhar Bhat, BJP Yuva Morcha president Akshat Shetty, Naveen Kutyar, Uday Kumar Shetty, Shyamala Kundar, Geethanjali Suvarna and others were present.