G. Jagadeesha, Deputy Commissioner, said on Friday that the district administration had sought approval from the Karnataka State Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA) for removing another 4 lakh tonnes of sand from the rivers in Udupi district.
Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Jagadeesha said that the approval from the KSCZMA was expected within a couple of weeks. Then, the process of distribution of permits to remove sand will start, he said.
To a query, Mr. Jagadeesha said that already 4 lakh tonnes had been removed from the sand blocks in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas and this process of removal had been completed a few days back in the district.
The administration had not allowed any sand to be transported out of the district. But it wanted to check if all the sand removed had been distributed to the people in the district.
There was a possibility that some of this sand might have been stored illegally. Hence, he had directed the officers to raid places where sand might have been illegally stored and register criminal cases against those doing it.
“We are collecting the GPS details as this will give a clear idea of the places where the trucks had transported the sand from the sand stock yard. We will take stern action against the illegal hoarders of sand,” he said.
To another query, Mr. Jagadeesha said that Navayuga Udupi Tollway Pvt. Ltd. had started the work on the construction of the flyover in Kundapur and road widening at Padubidri.
“Though, we had given them a deadline of March 31 to complete their work, the company has sought an extension by a month to complete all the work in the district,” he said.
To another query, Mr. Jagadeesha said that the Debt Relief Act was not being enforced in the State as there was a stay order from the court on it.
No organisation should collect money from members of women self-help groups under the pretext that they were fighting to get them benefit under the Debt Relief Act, he added.