Mangaluru: Congress not to blame for sand and red stone crisis; elected representatives must act, says Ramanath Rai

Mangaluru: Congress not to blame for sand and red stone crisis; elected representatives must act, says Ramanath Rai

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 16, 2025: Former minister and senior Congress leader Ramanath Rai clarified that the current shortage of sand and red stone in the district is not due to the policies of the Congress government. Instead, he urged elected representatives to take responsibility and engage with higher officials to resolve the issue rather than blaming the government.

Addressing a press conference at the Congress office, Rai stated, "The public and labourers are suffering due to the lack of sand and red stone. It is the government’s duty to ensure such problems do not arise. This issue existed even during the BJP regime — it is not a result of Congress policies. The focus should be on resolving the crisis, not politicising it."

 

He further added that he had spoken to the concerned ministers and officials in the mining department regarding the high royalty rates on red stone. "In Kerala, the royalty is just ₹32, while in Karnataka it’s ₹280. Traders are finding it difficult to accept this huge difference, and it’s causing concern among both traders and workers. However, this is not something to be politicised by the BJP," he said.

"Standing on the street and shouting won’t solve the problem. Elected representatives must take initiative, hold discussions with government officials, and find a solution. The Congress government has not implemented any new policies in this regard, so blaming us is baseless," Rai emphasized.

Recalling past efforts, he said, “When our government was in power, I made numerous efforts to get licences for sand mining in non-CRZ areas. I personally attended 50–60 meetings in Bengaluru to resolve the issue. Our sand traders are well aware of this.”

He also criticized the recent move to block sand blocks without inviting tenders, saying it has worsened the situation. However, he supported the police action against illegal sand mining. He concluded by saying that he has already discussed the issue with the Chief Minister and urged the administration, elected leaders, and officials to sit together and find a permanent solution.