Shortage of red stone, sand in Dakshina Kannada due to previous BJP Government: Ramanath Rai
Mangaluru: Former minister and senior Congress leader B. Ramanath Rai has held the previous BJP government responsible for the ongoing shortage of red stone and sand in Dakshina Kannada district.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Office on Wednesday, Rai criticized the BJP MLAs for merely standing on the streets and voicing concerns instead of working towards solutions. “It is not the job of elected representatives to just speak about the non-availability of red stone and sand. They must find solutions to the problem,” he stated.
He clarified that there is nothing new about the legal issues surrounding red stone and sand. "The current system has caused some difficulties, and I have brought this to the Chief Minister's attention," he said.
Recalling his tenure as district in-charge minister, Rai mentioned that he had secured state and central government approvals for sand mining even in the CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) areas. However, operations were later halted due to lack of environmental clearances. To resolve this, he identified sand blocks in non-CRZ areas and issued permits accordingly. He accused the subsequent BJP government of lacking interest in issuing permits for sand extraction even outside CRZ areas and claimed they indirectly encouraged illegal sand mining.
Rai added that the scarcity of red stone and sand is severely affecting the common people and construction workers. “While the royalty on red stone in Kerala is just ₹32, in Karnataka it is ₹280. I have held discussions with the concerned ministers and officials to bring down this rate,” he said, assuring that the issue will be resolved once permit issuance resumes.
He also criticized BJP MLAs for failing to fulfill their responsibilities and instead blaming the government. “They are speaking in the wrong forums and avoiding accountability,” he remarked.
Former Mangaluru Mayor Shashidhar Hegde, Block Presidents J. Abdul Saleem, Prakash Salyan, Shubhodaya Alva, George, and Nazir Bajal were present at the press meet.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
