DC V. Ponnuraj flags off GPS-fitted lorries

DC V. Ponnuraj flags off GPS-fitted lorries

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 24: The Sand Contractors, Sand Boat Owners – Workers and Building Materials Transporters Joint Action Committee flagged off lorries fitted with GPS and launched its workshop on the legalities of sand transportation at Town Hall on Aug 24, Tuesday.

President of Sand Contractors, Sand Boat Owners – Workers and Building Materials Transporters Joint Action Committee welcomed the guests and the gathering. Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh issued identification cards to the members of the joint action committee; and MLA U. T. Khader released the identification stickers. DC V. Ponnuraj flagged off the GPS-fitted sand lorries and released the GPS logo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MLA B. Ramanath Rai said in his inaugural speech that the sand transportation business should be honest and should be become the sand mafia. He also said that a number of people depend on sand mining and sand transportation for their livelihood, but unscrupulous people are transporting sand illegally in the process of which honest businessmen are getting into trouble. He lauded the efforts of DC V. Ponnuraj to provide a solution to the problem of illegal sand transportation by implementing GPS.

District-in-charge Minister Krishna J. Palemar presided over the programme and said the purpose of implementing GPS is not to fight with the government, but to earn one’s livelihood honestly. Regretting that the people of Karnataka are still unaware of the value of their natural resources, he said that GPS should be compulsorily installed in all sand-transporting vehicles.

DC V. Ponnuraj said that the owners of sand-transporting lorries have taken the required steps to regulate illegal transportation of sand by adopting common color codes of white bonnets, blue bumpers, and the words “Maralu Sagata Vahana” on their bonnets. The lorries have also been fitted with GPS and have identification stickers on the left-hand side of their windshields.

Stating that there are 35 - 40 exit points into Kerala from DK district, he said that 6 people need to be recruited in each check post to control the outgoing traffic. The GPS system will reduce the burden on these check post employees, he said. Informing that GPS can neither be switched off nor tampered with, he said that in case of tampering, the authorities will immediately come to know of it and will cancel the permit.

MLA Abhaychandra Jain, Mayor Rajani Dugganna, Honorary President Haji A. K. Shekhabba Addoor, General Secretary Rajaratna Sanil, Advisor B. S. Chandru were the dignitaries on the dais.

Deputy Director of the Department of Mines and Geology B. S. Ravindra conducted a workshop on the legal aspects of mineral trade.