Udupi to ban on movement of Manganese ore laden-lorries

Udupi, July 27 (UNI) Karnataka Medical Education Minister and district incharge Minister V S Acharya today instructed both the local administration and the police to immediately impose a ban on movement of Manganese ore loaded lorries in the district until the Miners Assocation reinstalled the weigh bridge at Shiroor.

Chairing the second Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting here, he said at the instance of both the Deputy Commissioner and the public, the Miners Association had set up the weigh bridge at Shiroor, the northern end of the district, to check movement of ore laden-lorries. However, the Association had now removed it without informing the authorities concerned.

Mr Raghupathy Bhat, MLA from Udupi, said the Association's act of removing the weigh bridge without informing the administration amounted to criminal offence and demanded stringent action against it.

He warned that if the district administration failed to impose a ban on movement of overloaded lorries, people would be forced to take the law into their hands.

Mr Balakrishna, Executive Engineer of National Highways, said several stretches on NH 17 and 48 had been damaged due to movement of overloaded lorries and stressed the need for repairing the roads immediately. The deparment required Rs 35 crore to carry out the repair works, he added.

Dr Acharya said he would try to get maximum assistance from the Calamity Relief Fund. The Chief Minister had called for a meeting in this regard tomorrow, he added.

The Minister said since there were no bidders for short term lease of the Bramahavar Co-operative sugar factory at Bramhavar near here, the Co operative Minister had decided to lease the factory on long term basis for its revival.

UNI MA RG SKB2058