Shortage of laterite stones: BJP to stage dharna in Mangaluru on Sept. 16

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will stage a dharna in the city on September 16 against the State government not finding a solution to meet the shortage of laterite stones in Dakshina Kannada, according to MP for Dakshina Kannnada Capt. Brijesh Chowta.

The dharna will be staged in front of mini vidhana soudha from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Capt. Chowta, who is also the State secretary of BJP, said in a release on Saturday.

Capt. Chowta said that the extraction of laterite stones has come to a standstill, as the State government has imposed restrictions. Hence, labourers and transporters are in trouble., he said.

Though the government has held rounds of meetings to find out a solution and MLAs of coastal region raised the matter in the monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly, the problem has persisted. The Ministers of the State government had promised that rules of Department of Mines and Geology will be relaxed for allowing the extraction of laterite stones. But the government has not taken any decision on the same.

“The government is misleading people by making false promises,” Capt. Chowta said, adding that the BJP will come to the streets to oppose the “anti-labour” and “anti-people” move of the government.