Mangaluru: Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister of State for Fisheries, Youth Services and Sports, said on Wednesday that he has urged the Minister for Mines and Geology, Vinay Kulkarni, to formulate a sand policy for the three coastal districts of Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada. He was presiding over the tri-monthly Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting here.

Mr. Madhwaraj said it was essential to allow locals to extract sand. The people of these districts, from where a lot of sand is extracted, should get it at cheaper rates, he said, adding that the stranglehold of vested interests should be broken. It is only after meeting the local needs for sand should it be transported to other districts, he said.

Earlier, KDP member Umesh Naik, raised the issue, demanding to know the amount of sand extracted in the district before monsoon. Kodandaramaiah, the district mines and geology officer, said 10 lakh tonnes of sand had been extracted in the district, of which 6 lakh tonnes was transported to other districts.

Mr. Madhwaraj expressed dissatisfaction at the fact that 60 per cent of the sand was being transported to other districts when it had been decided that only 50 per cent should be.

Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLC, demanded to know the amount of royalty paid to the gram panchayats from where sand was being extracted. Mr. Kodandaramaiah said the total amount to be paid to the 17 GPs was Rs. 2 crore, but the amount is yet to be released by the government. Mr. Madhwaraj directed him to pursue the matter with the higher-ups in Bengaluru.

Mr. Poojary said it was essential that GPs get the royalty as they would find use of it to repair the roads which are often damaged by the movement of sand-laden trucks.

When Mr. Naik demanded to know how the department would check illegal transportation of sand, Mr. Kodandaramaiah said that 10 check-posts would be set up at vital locations in the district and Home Guards would be posted there to monitor the transportation.

MLAs Sunil Kumar and Gopal Poojary, zilla panchayat president Dinaker Babu, and vice-president Sheela Shetty were present at the meeting.