BJP wants sand supply issues addressed

Activists of Bharatiya Janata Party staged a protest here on Wednesday demanding the government address the problems related to sand supply.

Addressing the protest meet, Rajya Sabha member Ayanur Manjunath said that though the district has a rich deposit of sand, people were not getting it owing to the negligence of the Congress government in the State.

The district administration had not provided proper amenities in the places identified for sand lifting and sand stockyards. The sand stockyards lack proper approach roads. Owing to the government’s unscientific policies, illegal sand extraction and transportation continues unabated, he said.

Mr. Manjunath condemned the delay in according permission to truck owners for sand transportation. A truckload of sand can be supplied to end customers for Rs. 10,000. Owing to the delay in according permission, a truckload is being sold for Rs. 35,000, he said. Addressing the gathering, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa said that owing to the negligence of district administration officials, public infrastructure upgrading works like widening of roads and bridges were facing shortage of sand.

Mr. Eshwarappa said the problem related to sand shortage prevailed in other districts too.

It is unfortunate that those involved in illegal transportation of sand have tried to attack officials also, he said.