Take action against Udupi MLA, CM tells DC

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy directed Udupi Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis to initiate action against Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat for staging a protest against the sand crisis even when the model code of conduct was in force.

He told media persons here, on Tuesday, that the opposition was attempting to politicise the sand issue.

“There are legal hurdles to be dealt with,” he said and recollected that in the previous three to four meetings conducted exclusively on sand crisis there seemed no immediate solution as the issue was complicated.

He said there was no sand crisis when he was in power in 2006. The problem was created by BJP in the state.

“Udupi deputy commissioner is innocent and she is adhering to the court order,” Kumaraswamy said.

The central government had imposed certain restrictions, he said.

There are 93 sand miners whose ancestors were also into the traditional sand mining. The deputy commissioner is set to issue the clearance for these 93 sand miners. But BJP is insisting that permission should be given to all the 171 licence holders, which is not fair, he said.

Kumaraswamy said earlier the sand, which was extracted, was available only to the rich.

The state government had decided to impose certain restrictions so that the poor people can get sand at reasonable cost in order to construct houses, the chief minister added.