Mangaluru: BJP organized a protest regarding the ban on sand mining in the district in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here, on March 29.
Speaking on the occasion President of Mangalore City South Assembly Constituency BJP, Ravi Shankar Mijar said, “Due to the decisions are taken by the Government of Karnataka in the recent months, there is non-availability of sand in Mangaluru, the second largest city of the state.” He said that the delay in sand extraction has an adverse effect on many people as sand is required for construction purpose before the monsoon sets in.
“The ban has an adverse impact on the construction workers, middle class and the poor. Many workers who rely on the sand for their daily bread are also jobless, this includes the migrant population from different parts of the country as well,” he said.
“The sand mafia has been exporting sand illegally to neighbouring Kerala. It is shameful that the District Minister-In-Charge, Ramanath Rai is protecting the mafia and boldly issuing a statement of his innocence in the media,” he added.
BJP Corporator, Sudhir Shetty said, “In the past election, the people of the district rejected BJP and elected unfriendly leaders like Ramanath Rai, UT Khader, Abhaychandra Jain and Vinay Kumar Sorake. It is after the elections that the people of the district had to face a number of hardships and now to add to their woes, they have introduced a ban on sand mining.”
Sudhir further said, “Though there is a ban on sand mining, the business of sand mafia has been booming under the leadership of the Congress. Whenever a truck laden with illegally mined sand is caught by the police, Ramanath Rai is the first one to call up the policemen, demanding the immediate release of those trucks.”
After the protest, a memorandum was also submitted to the Deputy Commissioner in this regard. Deputy Mayor Sumithra, Corporator Roopa D Bangera and others were also present.