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The State government will make available sand at an affordable rate by resolving at the earliest the issues related to extraction of sand from the Coastal Regulatory Zone areas. It will also restore ‘Sand Bazaar’ app through which people can order for sand, said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson and Mangaluru City Corporation councillor A.C. Vinayaraj here on Tuesday.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Vinayaraj said a bathymetric survey has been done and places for extraction of sand in the CRZ areas have been identified. Process has been initiated for grant of environment clearance. “Extraction of sand in the CRZ areas will start shortly,” he claimed.
Extraction of sand in the non-CRZ areas will also commence shortly after permit holders install weighbridges, he said.
“The government is committed to providing sand at affordable cost. Unlike the BJP government, we have acted quickly and are making sincere efforts to make sand available at the earliest,” he said.
Criticising Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath, who had questioned the delay on the part of the government in addressing the issue of sand scarcity, Mr. Vinayaraj said the BJP government dragged its feet during its rule in issuing sand extraction permits in CRZ areas for a year despite environmental clearance.
“The BJP government gave permit only for one day,” he said. In the guise of removing silt from Shamboor and Adyapady dams, Mr. Vinayaraj alleged that Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, and BJP MLAs favoured their men in illegal extraction of sand from the two places.
Mr. Vinayaraj said during the earlier rule of the Congress, the Dakshina Kannada district administration started ‘Sand Bazaar’ app to enable people order sand. The BJP government ensured closure of the app. “We will revive this app,’ he said.
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