Illegal sand mining site raided in Bantwal: 8 arrested, 10 boats, 4 tippers seized

coastaldigest.com news network

February 5, 2018

Bantwal, Feb 5: In a fresh raid on illegal sand mining at Mularpatna in Bantwal taluk, the sleuths of Bantwal Rural Police on Sunday arrested eight persons and seized boats and trucks involved in extraction from the River Phalguni.

According to Dakshina Kannada Additional Superintendent of Police V.S. Sajeeth, eight persons, engaged in illegal extraction, including the owner of the Dhakke (landing point), were arrested. Besides, 10 boats and four tippers too were sezied, he said.

The accused are Abdul Jabbar, Mohammed Ashfaq, Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Iqbal, Abdul Samad, Sirajudin, Jalaludin and Hamza. The accused were produced before the jurisdictional magistrate, who remanded them in 15-days judicial custody.

Acting on complaints that illegal sand extraction was in vogue at Mularpatna since a fortnight, the police informed Bantwal tahsildar Purandara Hegde and conducted the raid along with him.

Since police are handicapped to register FIRs on their own against illegal sand extraction, the tahsildar gave the complaint, Mr. Sajeeth said.

Extraction had stopped after a police raid last year when two persons, involved in illegal sand extraction, allegedly jumped into the river and drowned, the Additional SP said.

However, extraction started again this year recently, he said. Those engaged in extraction did not have any documents to engage in sand extraction, Mr. Sajeeth said.

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Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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