Government to announce sand mining policy soon: Minister Palemar

Government to announce sand mining policy soon: Minister Palemar

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, November 20: J. Krishna Palemar, Minister for Environment, Ecology, Inland Water Transport, Ports, Fisheries and Science and Technology, said that the Government will soon come out with a sand mining policy. The State Cabinet at its meeting on Thursday had approved this proposal.

According to it, the Public Works Department would be given powers to auction sand mining, he said. The Government had decided to constitute a committee to look into issues of environment before finalising the policy.

To a question, he said that sites allotted to companies in Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) at Ganjimath in Mangalore taluk would be cancelled if they failed to start operations within the period stipulated.

 

The Minister said land allotted to private parties for tourism activities should not be perceived as “land scam”. It was allotted for specific purpose.

He further stated that Mangalore City Corporation will start filling potholes in all 60 wards of the city in a few days. It will be completed in two months.

Concrete roads

The Minister said that the Public Works Department would lay 43 concrete roads leading to the colonies of people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes at various places in the district at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.33 crore.

The bidding process had been completed.

Thirty one other roadworks in the district were pending approval of the Government. They would be laid at an estimated cost of Rs. 11.24 crore, he said.

The Government had approved road development works estimated at Rs. 17 crore on the occasion of Vishwa Tulu Sammelana held at Dharmasthala in last December. In that works worth Rs. 14 crore had been completed. The remaining work would be done in this financial year.

Buildings for seven government degree colleges were being built in the district at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.57 crore.

A quality testing laboratories had been set up in all taluks in the district. They were headed by the Assistant Executive Engineers of respective taluks said B.S. Balakrishna, Superintendent Engineer, Mangalore Division of PWD. Earlier, the entire division comprising Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu had only one such laboratory. The laboratories helped in ensuring quality of road and building works.

New circuit house

The minister said the Public Works Department would build a new circuit house at an estimated cost of Rs. 2 crore in the premises of existing circuit house at Kadri Hills. It would start shortly, he added.

Planetarium

Mr. Palemar, who also holds the portfolios of Science and Technology, said the State Cabinet at its meeting on Thursday had approved construction of a planetarium at Pilikula Nisargadhama at an estimated cost of Rs. 15.50 crore.

He said that a breakwater was being built at Gangolli at an estimated cost of Rs. 3 crore.

A jetty would be built at Mangalore old port at an estimated cost of Rs. 9 crore.

Earlier, the Minister inspected the PWD office renovated recently at a cost of Rs. 12 lakh.thehindu