Clear pending applications for sand removal in Udupi: BJP

Protest rally on Sept 11 to condemn Cong's failure in state

The BJP unit has demanded that the district administration process all previous applications for sand removal in the district at the earliest.

District BJP president Mattar Ratnakar Hedge told reporters here on Saturday that although the sand extraction activities have started in the district, measures should be taken immediately to permit all the 164 applicants to remove the sand in CRZ area.

He alleged that although the district administration has initiated measures, it is not keen to take the process forward.

He said that the district BJP unit would take up a protest rally from Hejamadi to Kaup on September 11 to condemn the "lackadaisical attitude" of the Congress-led state government. It would be followed by a protest meet at Kaup, he said.

The government has utterly failed to offer the assured sites to the applicants under 94C and 94 CC. Around 7,000 applications have been received. He said that the district administration is also charging Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 for 2.5 cents of land.

He demanded that land should be given free of cost. He said that BJP condemns the act of Congressmen displaying government programmes as party programmes.

He also condemned the brutal murder of veteran journalist Gauri Lankesh. He stressed on the need for an impartial probe and alleged that the incident yet again shows the failure of law and order mechanism in the state. He also condemned the AICC vice president’s remarks against the prime minister and RSS.

He demanded that minister K J George should immediately resign following the Supreme Court order for a CBI enquiry into Deputy Superintendent of Police Ganapathy's suicide case. "The minister should step down to ensure an impartial enquiry," he said.

He said that although the state government strictly controlled the 'Mangaluru Chalo' rally, nearly 3,000 protesters from Udupi joined the rally. Around 4,000 motorbikes were seized in the district.

'Gauri's murder a crime'

Former parliamentarian Jayaprakash Hegde termed Gauri’s murder as a heinous crime. He also condemned the remarks made by some on social networking sites to rejoice her death.

Questioning the district administration's liability on calling the new applications for sand extraction, the former MP said that the district administration should go before the National Green Tribunal and seek approval for calling additional applications.

The district administration is barred from taking new applications, he said and added that it would be contempt of court as the administration has submitted an affidavit towards not entertaining new applications. It has said that it would only give permission for the already available applications.

He added that the recent amendments made in the cabinet committee meeting for sand mining activities in Non-CRZ area should have been made some two years ago. He alleged that the state government delayed the process unnecessarily.

Former MLA Raghupathy Bhat alleged that politics should not be played while giving away sand mining permissions. He alleged that the district in-charge minister is promoting M-sand lobby in the district.

DH News Service