The Hindu : Front Page : Sand extraction policy to be ratified soon

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Friday, Jun 17, 2011
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Sand extraction policy to be ratified soon

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: A new sand extraction policy has been drafted, and the three coastal districts of Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada will have a special policy that is different from the one for the rest of the State. The policy will be ratified by the State Cabinet shortly.

Auctioning system

A policy on sand extraction has been on the cards for over a year, and it has been decided to vest the responsibility of overseeing sand extraction to the Department of Public Works.

The system of granting permits will be abandoned and an auctioning system will be introduced.

Minister for Higher Education V.S. Acharya, who is in charge of Udupi district, on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with Ministers and legislators from the three districts and senior officials to finalise the policy for the region.

Dr. Acharya said the new policy would approve sand extraction for longer periods — from the present 90 days to at least a year.

Preference would be given to manual extraction although mechanised extraction would also be permitted.

Twenty-five per cent of the royalty that accrues to the Government would go to the local municipality concerned. Export of sand from the coastal districts to Kerala would be barred as it could lead to a shortage in Mangalore and Udupi while export to Goa from Uttara Kannada would be permitted, he said.

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