'Issue permits for sand extraction by Oct 15'

Udupi BJP district unit President Mattar Ratnakar Hegde urged the district administration to issue permits for sand extraction within October 15.

“If the authorities fail to issue permits then BJP will decide on its next course of action by holding discussions with MLAs and elected representatives on October 16,” Hegde said.

He told reporters on Saturday that government and the district administration’s promises on allowing sand extraction in CRZ and non CRZ areas had not been fulfilled so far.

“Why is the district administration dilly dallying on issuing permission for sand extraction even after the Chief Minister’s order?,” he asked.

He said the district administration should have allowed sand extraction in accordance with the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Permission should be extended to traditional sand lifters, he urged.

The BJP district unit president expressed confidence on winning the elections in Shivamogga Parliamentary Constituency. B Y Raghavendra from BJP will contest from Shivamogga constituency. Sukumar Shetty had won with a margin of 25,000 votes in Baindur Assembly Constituency.

The Baindur Assembly segment which comes under Shivamogga Parliamentary Constituency has 5 BJP ZP members and more number of BJP Taluk Panchayat members. All these factors will work in favour of the BJP in the by election, he asserted.

BJP candidate Raghavendra will be filing his nominations on October 15. Over 500 party workers from the district will take part in a procession during the filing of nominations. He will also hold a party workers meeting in Byndoor by month end.

Hegde said that BJP State President B S Yeddyurappa will be attending the Chandika Yaga planned in Kollur on October 19 and later will attend a huge political rally in Byndoor.

He accused JD(S)-Congress coalition government of preventing the BJP from coming to power in the recently held urban local bodies polls.

Hegde charged that the reservation list for the post of president and vice president was revised after announcement of the poll results. The BJP had urged the Election Commission to restrict the model code of conduct to Byndoor Assembly Constituency and not apply it to the entire Udupi district.

He said that BJP was mentally prepared for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2019.