Massive rally by construction workers demands permanent solution to red stone and sand crisis in DK

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 14, 2025: Urging a permanent solution to the ongoing red stone and sand shortage in Dakshina Kannada district, the Karnataka State Federation of Building and Other Construction Workers (Regd) – affiliated with CITU – held a massive protest march on Monday.

Led by the federation’s Dakshina Kannada district committee, hundreds of construction workers marched from Jyothi Ambedkar Circle to the Mini Vidhana Soudha in Mangaluru.

Inaugurating the protest, Federation State Secretary Yogeesh Jappinamogaru criticized both the ruling and opposition parties, accusing them of playing political games at the expense of lakhs of affected citizens. He condemned the government’s failure to resolve the crisis even after over three and a half months.

“Construction workers have lost their livelihoods, and common people are forced to pay exorbitant prices for raw materials to build homes. The government claims the issue is resolved, but in reality, unauthorized entities are benefiting,” he said.

Yogeesh demanded that the district administration intervene to regulate the prices of red stone and sand in a pro-people manner. “It’s been ten days since we demanded action, but the administration remains completely silent. There’s a limit to people’s patience,” he warned.

He further demanded that until a permanent solution is reached, each registered construction worker under the Welfare Board be paid ₹10,000 per month as compensation.

Federation District Secretary Chandrhasa Pillar also spoke at the event, stating that instead of harassing registered workers under the Building and Construction Workers Welfare Board, the government should ensure all due benefits are distributed in a simple and consistent manner.

He acknowledged the district administration’s legal efforts to regulate the sector, but questioned, “What’s the use of strict rules if red stone and sand are not even available in the market?”

The protest brought attention to the growing distress among construction workers and called for immediate government intervention to ensure fair pricing and availability of key construction materials in the region.