Hyderabad: The TDP on Saturday appealed to Andhra
Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan to recommend to the Union
Environment and Forests Ministry to revoke the environmental
clearances issued for bauxite mining in agency areas of
Visakhapatnam districts as it would adversely impact the
environment and livelihood of local tribals.
The party also noted that bauxite mining, "involving
plunder of tribal resources for the benefit of two companies"
is a "scandal" bigger than the Obulapuram (iron ore) mining
scandal.
"Like the case of Obulapuram, the bauxite mining scandal
too needs to be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation
as to how the agreements were signed and environmental
clearances obtained," the TDP submitted to the Governor.
A delegation of TDP leaders, led by Leader of Opposition
in the state Legislative Council Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, met the
Governor at the Raj Bhavan this morning and submitted a
memorandum, signed by party president N Chandrababu Naidu,
stating that the environmental clearances were in violation of
the Forest Rights Act and also provisions of the Constitution.
"The state government has ingeniously organised Memoranda
of Understanding between the AP Mineral Development
Corporation, ANRAK and Jindal companies in 2007 for supply of
bauxite reserves in the agency area at throwaway prices. Large
tract of land, which was forcibly acquired from the locals,
was allotted to these private companies to set up the plants.
Its pertinent to note that provisions of the Forest Rights Act
were negated and the decision to entrust mining to APMDC was
taken unilaterally by the then YS Rajasekhara Reddy government
with clear vested interests," the TDP alleged.
Drinking water sources not only in agency areas but also
adjoining areas in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts
would get depleted and polluted as bauxite mining affects
small rivers like Sarada, Champavathi and Gosthani that
originate in the region.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 24, 2011, 15:50