Minister assures separate sand policy for coastal districts

Minister assures separate sand policy for coastal districts

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Jan 30 2019: State Minister for Mines and Geology Rajashekhar Patil has  said that the government was contemplating to have a separate sand policy for the coastal districts.

 

Speaking  at a progress review meeting held at the DC office on January 29, Tuesday  he also stated that a proposal in support of a separate sand policy for the two districts should be submitted to the government.

Later speaking to reporters, the minister said clearance has been given for five out of the 30 sand blocks in CRZ limits and  assured that  permission would be granted for eight more sand  blocks in a week’s time. Thus about 13 lakh metric tonnes of sand would be available, he said.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis, SP Lakshman Nimbargi, Additional DC Vidya Kumari, ZP CEO Sindhu  B Roopesh, MLAs V Sunil Kumar, Raghupathi Bhat, Lalaji Mendon, Halady Srinivas Shetty, B K Sukumar Shetty, MP Shobha Karandlaje and others.

Later, MLA Raghupathi Bhat stated that the protest demanding sand permits has been withdrawn following the minister’s assurance that all the 79 persons whose licenses have been cancelled on the charges of violation of rules, will be  revoked.