Kundapura: Owners of tipper trucks here held silent protest opposite the office of the assistant commissioner here on Wednesday September 19 to register their resentment at the unilateral ban placed on sand extraction by the district administration. They also handed over petition listing their grievances to the assistant commissioner.

“The district administration has taken steps to ban sand extraction in the district. It has not taken any alternative steps to mitigate hardships faced because of sand shortage created on account of this action. As a result, under-construction works have been stalled and construction workers are suffering as they have no work.

As transportation of building materials has come to a grinding halt, and owners of trucks who have raised heavy loans and expected to earn income from this sector, have turned jobless. Workers attached to transport vehicles are virtually on the streets,” they stated, and demanded for framing of integrated sand policy that befits the conditions prevailing in this district.

The tipper owners said that even though sand is available in the district in abundance naturally, people are not getting sand for construction of houses. Although they had brought this fact to the notice of the concerned, nothing was done to address the alarming situation, they pointed out. They warned of holding protest without any break even during the night if the sand problem is not addressed within a week.

Assistant commissioner, Bhoobalan, who accepted the memorandum, said that the deputy commissioner of the district is already doing the needful and expressed the confidence of coming out with a scheme within a week.

Owner of Tipper Owners Association, Gunakar Shetty, secretary, Satishchandra Shetty, treasurer, Navneeet Shetty, convener, Sharatkumar Shetty Balikee and others were present.