Udupi : K. Jayaprakash Hegde, former MP, alleged on Wednesday that the wrong policies of the State government were responsible for the sand extraction problem.

He was speaking at an indefinite dharna on the issue of sand extraction organised by the Karanataka Karmikara Vedike in front of the Clock Tower, here.

Mr. Hedge said that the government had appointed a committee on the issue and it had submitted its report. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had held two to three meetings on the issue. But no solution could be found for the problem.

He alleged that there was strong suspicion that the government did not have a proper idea of the problem in the coastal districts.

This was because the local leaders had not provided the government proper information about the problem, he said.

It was essential to take the support of the landowners living on the river banks while extracting sand from the rivers.

“It was difficult to extract sand without their permission. Hence, the government should immediately call a meeting of such land owners, and workers and contractors engaged in sand extraction,” he said.

He said that when issues such as jallikattu and kambala have confronted State governments, they were quick in bringing in legislation on them.

“It was a mystery why the State government was not amending the necessary laws to permit sand extraction in the coastal districts,” Mr. Hegde said.

Ravi Shetty, president of the vedike, said that the stoppage of sand extraction in many areas had affected the livelihood of workers.