Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB/EP)

Udupi, Oct 19: “We will be sitting on peaceful day and night protest in front of the office of deputy commissioner at Rajathadri on October 25 if the Udupi district administration does not permit extraction of sand,” said MLA Raghupathi Bhat.

Speaking in a press conference held in Udupi press club on October 19, he said that a preliminary meeting in this connection will be held on October 22 at Bannanje Narayanaguru auditorium on October 22 and a final appeal will be submitted to the deputy commissioner.

“We too know law. We have decided for peaceful protests instead of violent protests as election code of conduct applies to Udupi also. The district administration has no desire to permit sand extraction. Six days are left still. Tipper lorries have suspended their work and are on protests. They too will take part in the protests on October 25. Construction workers, sand mining campaign committee members and other labour class people will join the protests. The district administration should wake up at least now. No development has taken place even after the visit of chief minister,” he said.

“It was decided to make sand available after October 15. A meeting in this connection was held in the leadership of thirteen MLAs and three district in-charge ministers. Though there is permission for traditional sand mining, even small sand lorries are being fined Rs 5,000. Even though there are orders from the chief minister, the deputy commissioner is not implementing them. If the deputy commissioner is scared of getting stuck in green tribunal, let her get herself transferred. Entire work in Udupi is suspended due to sand problem,” he said.

“Our primary demands are that 30 people should get lease. A digital CRZ map is ready. As Kundapur comes under Byndoor eco zone, sand extraction should be allowed in Udupi. As many as 171 people were allowed for sand mining in the past and 109 leases were given in non-CRZ. A scientific survey should be conducted by NITK and sand mound should be identified soon. Udupi deputy commissioner should obtain affidavit from genuine poor people. GPS should be simplified. What was the need of recent meeting before identifying sand mounds? Government has not asked for Bethe-metric survey. The M G Nagendra and multi sand campaign committee, building construction materials organization and traders have decided to hold Udupi bundh from November 7 after Deepavali,” he said.

Pradeep Shetty, president, engineer's association, Kundapur; Sudheer Shetty, secretary, Credai Udupi; W M Gururaj Rao, engineer association; Manjunath, secretary; Nandakumar, vice president, engineer association; Gopal Bhat and Chandrashekar Nayari were present.