Mangaluru — The Construction Workers Federation, Dakshina Kannada, along with other labour bodies under CITU and AITUC, will hold a massive rally on August 18. The march will start at Ambedkar Circle and culminate in a protest outside the Mini Vidhana Soudha, demanding government action to resolve the shortage of sand and laterite stones in the district.
Federation general secretary Vasanth Achari told reporters on Thursday that construction activity in Dakshina Kannada has been paralysed for the past three months. While authorities cracked down on illegal laterite stone and sand extraction, no effective measures were taken to enable legal mining, leaving the sector without essential raw materials.
Achari said the crisis has thrown thousands of workers out of employment and stalled housing projects for ordinary citizens. “Despite adequate sand reserves, the distribution system remains complicated and poorly implemented. The livelihoods of workers who are already struggling should be a priority,” he emphasised.
The federation has called for a dedicated coastal sand policy to ensure hassle-free supply in coastal districts, along with permission for environmentally safe sand mining and regulated laterite quarrying. They also demand that jobless construction workers be provided with ₹10,000 per month in financial aid until normal operations resume.