‘Steps to be taken for sand supply in Udupi soon’

District In-charge Secretary M Maheshwar Rao said that measures will be taken to ensure sand is easily available for the common man in the district.

He was addressing the gathering at a review meeting organised at the deputy commissioner’s office in Manipal on Saturday.

Rao said that sand is supplied from two blocks in the CRZ (coastal regulation zone) area through the KRIDL (Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited).

Tenders to be called

“There has been a demand for 23,854 metric tonnes of sand from the public in the past two months. Tenders will be called to extract sand from three blocks identified for the Zilla Panchayat. The sand is to be used for government-funded developmental work,” said the secretary.

He directed the officials to take measures on the disposal of the sand extracted through dredging immediately.

Expressing displeasure at the poor progress of work on the repair of roads in rural areas that were damaged during the previous natural calamity, the officer said the work needs to be expedited.

‘Speed up UGD work’

“The underground drainage (UGD) work in the district should be accelerated. There are many cases pending before the Land Tribunal in the district. A proposal should be submitted to the government in this regard,” said Rao.

Deputy Commissioner Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, Additional Deputy Commissioner Vidya Kumari and others were present at the meeting.

Memorandum

Karkala MLA V Sunil Kumar earlier submitted a memorandum to Maheshwar Rao, who is also secretary for Mines and Small Industries in Bengaluru.

The memorandum has requested the secretary to initiate measures to resolve the row over shortage of sand in the district.

Sunil Kumar also said that due to a disruption in the supply of sand, the construction activities have come to a standstill. The labourers, painters, electric workers, carpenters have been rendered jobless due to the slowing down of the construction activities in the district, he complained.

Rao promised to make arrangements on supplying sand within a few days.