BENGALURU: The state Cabinet on Monday approved the sand policy for coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada. The Cabinet had earlier constituted a sub-committee to work out finer details and the recommendations of the sub committee have also been accepted, according to Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra.The cabinet has decided to approve traditional sand mining in non regulated zones or non-coastal regulated zones in the coastal areas.
The responsibility for preventing heavy machinery from being used for sand mining and issuing licenses for sand mining has been vested with the local tahsildar. The moves comes as a saviour for many traditional families who have been extracting river sand for several years.
The non-regulated zone will be beyond 500 meters from the defined coastline as per the central government rules. Jayachandra said the licenses would be issued on a conditional basis and a set of documentation had to be approved before handing over the mining blocks. “Any person who intends to bid for the sand mining block in the non-regulated zone needs to provide proof of residence in the local gram panchayat vicinity for a minimum of 10 years,” Jayachandra added.
Krishi Bhagya for Horticulture
The Cabinet approved the implementation of Krishi Bhagya programme for Horticulture Department and allocated `200 crore. It will be implemented along the lines of Krishi Bhagya for agriculture.
Other Cabinet decisions
Increase of Rs 2,187.46 crore for rise in land acquisition cost of Phase 2 of Metro bringing the total amount to Rs 6,293 cr.
Approval of Rs 300 crore for improving storm water drains and repairs on roads damaged due to rains in Bengaluru
135 obsolete Acts of the state and 8 Acts of Centre to be repealed
Procurement of iron, folic acid and albendazole tablets for children and adolescents for Rs 10.40 crore and purchase of sanitary napkins for Rs 47.96 crore under Suchi programme
The widow of police inspector Mahesh Kumar who died in a road accident to be given a job
3-year action plan to treat waste water from Koramangala and use it to fill Bellandur lake at a cost of Rs 12 crore