Udupi: Women and Child Welfare Minister Jaimala said on Wednesday that the process of identifying sand blocks in Non-Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas in Udupi district was expected to be completed by October 15.

Addressing presspersons here after the trimonthly Karnataka Development Programme meeting, she said the process of identifying sand blocks was already on. With regard to sand extraction in CRZ areas, a report from experts from NITK-Surathkal was expected by October 5. This report would be sent to Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority, and then the authority will conduct a meeting and decide on it. Then the process of identifying sand bars would start.

The sand extracted from non-CRZ areas would be sent for construction of 3,000 houses under various government schemes in villages. The Panchayat Development Officers had been instructed to make a list of such houses and sand would be sent to the gram panchayats concerned as per the requirement there. There were monitoring mechanisms to check where the sand was going, she said.

On the widening of National Highway 66 in the district, the NH authorities had assured to complete the construction of the Karavali Junction overpass in Udupi by December 2018. The entire widening work of the NH 66 from Hejmady to Kundapur would be completed by March 2019. In the interim, they had also assured to fill the potholes and put safety signs at ‘U’ turns, she said.

There were 7,598 applications pending for ration cards in the district and they would be disposed by October-end. Of the 11 Ambedkar Bhavans granted for the district, sites had been identified for five, while the sites for the remaining nine would be identified by October 15.

As many as five mobile anganwadis had been sanctioned for five Assembly constituencies in the district. It had also been decided to provide a site for the Mahila Zilla Okkoota. Land surveyors would be appointed in the district by October-end. It was also decided to provide power connection to the below the poverty line (BPL) card holders in the district.

Owing to heavy rains in the district, nearly 7,600 hectares with arecanut plantations were affected by ‘Kole Roga’ and the growers would be provided with compensation. The damage claim had already been submitted to the government, Ms. Jaimala said.