Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 1: After former minister, B Ramanath Rai raised a hue and cry over the illegal red bauxite mining, the district administration took serious note of the issue and handed over the responsibility and regulatory rights to village accountants. As such, the red laterite quarries have closed down and the entire industry is facing a very bad situation.

There are over 500 red laterite stone quarries in the district and about a lac people were dependent on this industry. Most of the quarries were functioning in Innoli, Mudipu, Balepuni, Kairangala, Naringana etc and they had been functioning for the last many years and earned a name for quality.

After the issue that illegal red bauxite business has been flourishing in many areas, the matter reached the government. The district administration passed an order that these quarries have to obtain a licence. It also warned that panchayat development officers and village accountants will be held responsible if unauthorised quarries function in their areas. Thereafter, the village accountants have been registering cases against the quarry owners as a result of which many quarries have closed down. Now the people are afraid they may not be able to get red laterite stones used for construction like sand.

At present, only three of the quarries are authorised while the others are running the quarries by taking land from the owners on lease. Bantwal MLA Rajesh Naik said that after the BJP came to power, it was permitting red stone quarries in agricultural lands under 3A and this facility was useful for owners of the land. He noted that there is no provision to undertake quarrying in government lands and wished that everything should be done legally.