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Udupi : The Sand Mafia in the district established by Pramod Madhwaraj, then district in-charge Minister, alleged by Raghupathy Bhat, MLA of Udupi legislative assembly.

Addressing a press meet in BJP office here on Thursday, 30^th August, Raghupathy Bhat said that he never told if he elected, will solve the sand mining within one month. Earlier Pramod Madhwaraj said in the press meet on Wednesday that Raghupathy Bhat promised within one month sand problem has solved. Raghupathy Bhat said that he could not achieve the desired progress as his party is not ruling in the state now. But all MLAs of Udupi district along with him spoken to the chief minister and all minister concerned about the sand problem in the district, Bhat said.

If Pramod Madhwaraj organize demonstration in relate to sand problems in the district, he will support the demonstration if it held non political one from 1^st September. Anyhow we want complete solution of the sand problems in the district. Pratapchandra Shetty Congress MLC also supporting our views in regard to the sand problem. We held talks with district in-charge minister Jayamala in regard to sand problems in the district, he said.

We held meeting with DC and she told us that as per the instructions of Green Tribunal, the administration stopped issuing permits for sand extraction under Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) rules. We along with Pratapchandra Shetty of congress met DC recently and urged solve the problem immediately. We informed DC to identify sand blocks prior to 15^th August, but not happened. The seven committee members meeting also held on 28^th August. As per the meeting it was decided to conduct Bathymetric survey to identify sand blocks which create hurdles for fishing boats to move about so that permission to remove them can be granted, Bhat said.

We are opposing Bathymetric survey method due to pose problem for the leasing process and it will lead to further problems. Bhat said that the total problem of sand mining created by the Congress in the district. Pramod failed to solve the sand problem in the district, he said.

Bhat demands the DC to conduct survey through NITK team instead of Bathymetric survey system. There was no need to write letter to Central Government. We can able to solve the sand mining without any political interference, he said.

Raghupathy Bhat also blamed the Pramod Madhwaraj in drinking water issue. He said that there was no shortage of drinking water in the city from 2006 to 2012. In order to initiate corruption in water supply through tankers, Pramod Madhwaraj initiated the system of supplying of drinking water through the tankers to city as well as rural areas. In BJP rule in CMC, under Swarna II project, pipelines connected to all the houses in CMC limits. We didn’t supplied water through tankers since 2012 upto Nay 15^th. The supplying water through tankers was also started by Pramod Madhwaraj. Also the shortage of drinking water to the city also created by Pramod Madhwaraj that there should take our sand from the Beje dam. Instead of filling the water, the dam has covered and filled by heavy sand. That should be taken out to fill the water. The drinking water shortage occurred due to Pramod Madhwaraj’s unsuccessful initiatives, he said.

Answering to media persons, Bhat said that the glamorous district in charge Minister Dr. Jayamala not conducted any KDP meeting. He only met once during the Independence celebration with district in charge minster, he said.

Raghavendra Kini and Upendra Nayak were present in the press meet.