New Delhi: Against the backdrop of concerns
over illegal mining cases, CPI member D Raja on Wednesday said the
Centre should intervene and ensure that controversial licenses
are cancelled.
Making a Special Mention in the Rajya Sabha, he said
various people acquired iron ore mining licenses and then
broke all rules to amass huge wealth.
"If the Central government wanted, it could have
intervened at many stages and rectified errors to stop illegal
acquisitions of iron ore and other mining licenses," Raja
said, pointing out that the Centre has been blaming states for
this sordid state of affairs.
He said the Centre has left the issue for the NGOs and
activists to fight it out in the Courts.
"Government should use the mining tribunal and cancel all
such controversial licenses and those that are against mining
laws of the country," he said adding government should use its
powers to cancel and penalise parties who perpetrated these
illegal acts.
Cases of illegal mining have been rising in the country
and about 42,000 such cases were recorded last year in 11
mineral-rich states including Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and
Jharkhand.
PTI
