CM Siddaramaiah assures clampdown on illegal mining in Udupi 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to curbing illegal mining activities in Udupi district. During the meeting, he emphasized the importance of ensuring that the public is not inconvenienced in matters related to red stone and soil extraction.

Regarding the extraction of sand and redstone in Udupi district, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that permission letters for sand blocks would be granted only after obtaining approval from the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority. Delays in this process were attributed to the monthly meetings of the authority, prompting the Chief Minister to instruct the commissioner of the authority to expedite the approval process.

The implementation of the new sand policy in 2020, which came into effect on December 1, 2021, introduced smaller sand blocks. In addition to safeguarding the interests of construction workers, the government also recognized the importance of protecting the traditional sand extractors. Former Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake urged for measures to ensure the well-being of workers in this transition.

Currently, 39 sand blocks have been identified for contract allocation through Tender cum auctions in the Non Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area. Udupi District Collector Vidyakumari informed the meeting that the tender process for 9 blocks had been successfully completed, and the re-auction process for the remaining 30 sand blocks would be conducted soon.

The demand for 8 lakh tonnes of sand is substantial in the region, particularly for house construction in Mangalore and Udupi due to the climatic conditions. Furthermore, industries utilize this sand for its bauxite content. The public has expressed the desire to retain the resource within the district. Consequently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah proposed the issuance of sand mining permits through the District Collector, simplifying existing laws and empowering district commissioners to mine stones of the required size for construction.

The meeting also highlighted concerns related to laterite mining. A total of 71 contracts for laterite mining were awarded for a one-year period.

Additionally, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was made aware of concerns regarding the restriction of crushed soil use to intra-district purposes only. In response to these concerns, the Chief Minister vowed to address the matter promptly.

During the meeting, another critical issue came to light, nine dialysis machines at the district hospital were found to be non-functional, leaving only one machine operational. Further complicating matters, hospital staff had reportedly not received their salaries for the past six months. In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah issued immediate instructions for the staff’s salaries to be promptly disbursed.