Members of the Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samiti on Friday lauded the district administration for providing permits to 20 Dalit members to undertake sand extraction in sand bars in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas of Udupi district and urged the State government to implement this model in the Coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada also. Addressing presspersons here, T. Manjunath Giliyar, district organizing secretary of the samiti, said that so far there were reservations for providing sand extraction permits for members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes only in non-CRZ areas in Udupi district. For the first time, the district administration had suo motu provided sand extraction permits to 20 Dalit members in the sand bars in CRZ areas in Udupi district. This action had ensured social justice. The samiti had already written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and urged him to extend this model to Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts. The administration had been transparent in allocation of permits to the members of SCs and STs. When some anomalies were pointed out, the district administration had immediately set it right. Deputy Commissioner R. Vishal, who has taken this initiative, should not be transferred as he is a sincere and hardworking person with concern for the SCs and STs, Mr. Giliyar said. Meanwhile, members of the district unit of Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samitigala Maha Okkoota staged a dharna in front of the Clock Tower here demanding the immediate transfer of Dr. Vishal for alleged corruption in the provision of sand bars in Udupi district. Uday Kumar Tallur, leader of Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (Bheemavada), said that the District Sand Monitoring Committee had given 186 permits for sand extraction in sand bars. Instead of local persons, people from other states had got these permits. These persons were extracting, transporting and selling sand in other districts at high rates. Irregularities The entire process of giving sand bars was filled with irregularities. Some contractors had got these permits in the name of some of their workers, who belonged to SCs and STs. They had not been given to bona fide SC/ST beneficiaries. The State government should order a CID probe into the matter and transfer Dr. Vishal immediately from the district, Mr. Tallur said.
2016, The Hindu