The Public Works Department has already been entrusted with the responsibility to carry out sand extraction in non-CRZ areas and the district will not face shortage of sand, District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai said. 

Briefing media persons here on Tuesday, he said sand mafia started in the district when BJP leader Krishna J Palemar was the district in-charge minister. “I am not involved in illegal sand mining racket. I am not been protecting those involved in sand mafia. I am not into real estate business. I do not have any business as well. I have not come to politics to gain,” Rai clarified. 

By bringing in discipline in sand mining, a sum of Rs 14.5 crore has been collected as royalty from sand mining in the district. There is no question of protecting illegal sand miners, he said. 

The minister clarified that row over Forms 9 and 11 of Karnataka Panchayat Raj Rules (Taxes and Fees) for sale and purchase of land in four districts have been solved. Owing to the technical glitches in the software, the information has not reached the gram panchayats. The government has already issued a circular on districts being exempted from the e-swathu scheme— electronic maintenance of land records and properties by local bodies. It is not possible to maintain details using e-swathu because land records and ownership of land are not uniform in these districts. There is no questioning of misinforming the people on Forms 9 and 11, he added. 

Rai said rules have been relaxed within the framework of the law for felling of the trees from forest area to be used as temple post (Dwajasthambha) in temples. In the name of temples, the government will not allow destruction of forest. “If people come across such incidents, then they can bring it to my notice,” he said.
 “According to my view, Mangaluru Rural inspector Pramod was transferred as he had allegedly assaulted an innocent person. During the previous BJP term, several transfers have taken place. A BJP leader was involved in throwing sharp edged weapons inside the jail. The BJP leaders who had tried to save the accused in the murder of Harish Poojary are alleging that law and order situation is not in order in the district. Strict action will be initiated against those who try to disrupt peace in the communally sensitive district,” Rai warned.