Mangalore: The state Building and Construction Workers’ Federations’ DK Unit Committee leaders conducted a protest demonstration in front of MCC office on MG Road on Monday morning at 11a.m, seeking solutions to serious unemployment problems among construction workers at large, in view of complex rules brought onto force by state government in sand/iron ore mining industry without proper simplification. Sunil kumar Bajal addressed the gathering.
He accused the govt. of firming up mining rules after a lot of plundering had gone on, in sand mining on riversides, and iron ore mining in forest areas. The ban order on removing sand from riverbeds and selling the sand outside the district in Kerala has also affected local activities of building where sand is essential. The coastal districts have suffered losses in many businesses, and workers remained unemployed, he charged.
He demanded a meeting of Govt. officials, Lorry owners and Trade Union leaders to prevent more damage to mining.
B.M Bhat (President) and Vasanth Achary (Gen. Secy) of DK Unit were present. They asked the state to stop dilly-dallying in the sand policy and take a firm position to end unemployment and sudden end to construction activities on coastal region. The DCs were getting transferred, adding to the problems existing, when building work is in doldrums. The new DCs (both DK and Udupi) should facilitate sand mining besides red stones and black marble mining to help new buildings/homes under constant construction by builders. Workers should not go hungry, they pointed out.
Meanwhile, new Dcs are taking charge in DK/Udupi as on Monday, while the outgoing ones are being sent off.