The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Sand truckers to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 17, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Sand truckers to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha

Staff Reporter

Officials criticised for not arriving at a solution
Construction industry comes to a grinding halt

BANGALORE: With the sand truckers’ agitation entering the second week and there being no solution to their grievances, the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents’ Association has threatened to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha with lakhs of construction workers on August 23.

Federation President G.R. Shanmugappa told The Hindu that despite the Chief Minister giving clear instructions to bureaucrats to come out with a solution, the officials concerned had been dilly-dallying without taking any decision. He alleged that the primary concern of the officialdom had been collection of bribe, which they would lose if sand excavation and transportation is legalised.

He said the Chief Minister had ordered constitution of a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to thrash out the issues raised by truckers. Except a meeting called by Ganga Ram Baderia, Director, Mines and Geology Department, who is one of the members of the committee, the committee had not taken any initiative to address the issue.

Mr. Shanmugappa disputed the department’s claim department that district-level committees under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners concerned had been authorised to auction sand mining quarries. He said the department has been making a similar statement since two years and not a single quarry has been auctioned. Out of 748 identified quarries, only 32 are under leasehold, he noted.

Grinding halt

The entire construction industry, which had already been affected by spiralling cement prices, has come to a grinding halt with non-availability of sand, gravel and size stones.

Even if some people ventured to spend more, they were being quoted exorbitant price ranging from Rs. 16,000 to Rs. 20,000 for a truck load of sand in black market.

If the situation of builders — major as well as individual — has become worse, that of lakhs of construction workers has become pathetic with practically there being no work for them for the last two weeks.

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