Coastal districts to have a separate sand mining policy
Bengaluru (TNN): The state government on Monday resolved to have a separate sand mining policy for the three coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi, to help the traditional sand mining families in continuing to eck a life for themselves.
Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, law minister T B Jayachandra said the government had approved the cabinet sub-committee recommendations of allowing traditional local sand miners to extract sand bars from the non-CRZ areas on the coastal line of the state.
“While the CRZ norms are controlled by the centre, over which we have no control, the powers to allow sand mining in non-CRZ areas are under the state government control. Accordingly, we have decided to accord permission to the traditional sand miners in the region to extract river sand and sell them,” said the minister.
The non-CRZ region will be beyond 500 meters from the defined coastline as per the central government rules.
However, the sand mining approvals by traditional miners will also be given on a conditional basis.
“There are a series of documentations which need to be approved by the government before giving them the mining blocks. Further, there will be no dredging of any sorts allowed for sand mining in the three districts,”s aid Jayachandra.
As per the policy, any person who intends to bid for the sand mining block in the non-CRZ area needs to provide proof of residence in the local gram panchayat vicinity for a minimum of 10 years. Further, it has also to be proved with attestation and approval of the local Tahsildar that the person bidding for the block has been extracting sand for the last five years in a traditional manner.
The decision to have a separate sand mining policy for three of the 30 districts in Karnataka was referred previously to the advocate general over whether it is valid to have a two policy system in the state.
In other decisions, the state government has also resolved to extend the much popular scheme of Krishi Bhagya from the agriculture department to the horticulture department.
“We have decided to extend the Krishi bhagya policy to even horticulture activities and allocated Rs 200 crore for the purpose,” he said.
Under the policy the primary focus will be given towards encouraging polyhouses for fruits and vegetables.
“We will also be providing a subsidy of up to 90 per cent for schedule caste and schedule tribe farmers, with up to 50 per cent subsidy for the other categories while setting up these policies,” said the law minister.