MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary urges Govt to solve sand shortage problem Soon in Udupi Dist
Pics By Ankith Shetty
Udupi: Charging the H.D. Kumaraswamy led congress-JDS government of failing to control its officials in Udupi district, MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary speaking at a press meet held at his office in Udupi on Monday, October 22 said, “The officials were not following the Chief Minister’s order in the Sand Row. The Government should take immediate action to solve the sand problem in Udupi District”.
“Chief Minister Kumaraswamy held a meeting with 13 MLAs, four MLCs and four ministers and ordered the deputy commissioner to complete the process and start to provide sand to the public from October 16. Unfortunately, the Udupi district administration has neglected the Chief Minister’s order.”
“The Karnataka State government should answer to the people whether the Government is dead or alive. I am in continuous contact with the state chief Secretary through phone and have explained the sand problem in Udupi District. If the government is alive then the district administration should come forward to implement the Chief Minister’s order. Otherwise, the Chief Minister should take action against the officials,” he said.
“The common man is suffering because of the sand problem in Udupi district. The labour sector is suffering in the district. In other districts farmers are committing suicides, the coastal districts will also experience the same situation in the coming days.”
“During the KDP meeting, I had protested against the district administration for not following the chief minister’s order. The district minister in-charge Jayamala had assured me that after the KDP meeting she would discuss the issue with the officials and clear the sand Row. After the district minister in-charge Jayamala’s assurance I had attended the KDP meeting.”
“All MLAs and MLCs of the district and members of the construction sector decided to hold an indefinite Dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office against the district administration to solve the sand problem in the district. All MLAs and MLCs are participating in the Dharna. As an opposition leader of the Legislative council I would extend all my support to this Dharna,” he said.
Following the sand crisis in the district, the construction workers have decided to go on an indefinite strike. Poojary appealed to the police not to take action against truck drivers and owners, who had parked their vehicles on the roads as a mark of protest.
The MLC said there was no sign of administration in the district. “Although the chief minister had issued clear instructions on the issue of extraction of sand, the deputy commissioner had remained adamant and had not permitted sand miners to extract sand.”
He said as many as 27 sand blocks are located in the CRZ area.
Unfortunately, the district administration had identified only nine blocks. Two among them were rejected by the Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSZMA). He declared that the bureaucracy was above the government and chief minister.
Expressing confidence over BJP’s victory in the forthcoming byelections in Parliamentary and Assembly seats, Poojary said that the party was confident of sweeping all the five seats.
“The age old party Congress has invited curse on itself by joining hands with JD(S).”
He added that BJP need not worry on `Congress-free Karnataka’, as JD(S) was already doing it. He added that many issues bothering the state were left unattended as ministers were campaigning in the by-elections.
Poojary criticised JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda and the former chief minister Siddaramaiah for joining hands and addressing the press jointly.
He added that the incident highlights the complete decline of Congress.