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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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
