New sand policy to include demands of coastal districts

The state government will come out with a new sand policy incorporating the demands of the three coastal districts to allow locals to extract sand, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists in Bengaluru, Jayachandra said the people of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada have been seeking that they should get sand at cheaper rates. Besides, only after meeting the local needs, sand should be transported to other districts.

These demands and other aspects will be taken up at the next state Cabinet meeting before finalising the new policy, he added.

Jayachandra said the government is also contemplating to buy sand from other states in the wake of its severe shortage in the state. Maharashtra has been importing sand from other states, he pointed out.

He said a Cabinet sub-committee on Tuesday discussed the attack on Udupi Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis and Assistant Commissioner Shilpa Nag by a gang involved in illegal sand mining.

Panel to rein in media
Jayachandra said the state government has nothing to do with Speaker K B Koliwad constituting a joint House committee to rein in the media. “It is a decision of the House. The government had no discussion with the Speaker in this regard,” he added.