Maoists help tribals quarry gemstones

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Jan 23, 2012: The presence of Maoists in hillocks in Chintapalli worries both police and forest officials, also due to the illegal quarrying of semi precious stones which has been reported to be rampant in Vizag Agency.

While forest and police officials successfully controlled this illegal activity, which was widespread until a few years ago, in Karaka forest range coming under Narsipatnam, they do not dare to enter Singanapalli, Gondupalli in the Boincy reserved forest region coming under the Chintapalli Agency mandal, for fear of Naxalites.

It is reported that hundreds of local tribals are actively involved in quarrying of semi precious stones, which fetches lakhs in the open market, in the newly identified hillock in Chintapalli.

Local traders deal with traders from Rajasthan, Odisha and Tamil Nadu and engage tribals in quarrying with Maoist cover. Middlemen pay tribals Rs.10,000 to Rs.50,000 for a stone depending on the size. The unscientific way of quarrying is posing a threat to the lives of tribals.

On Sunday morning, a hillock, where tribals were busy digging until late on Saturday night, suddenly collapsed. Fortunately there were no casualties as no worker was there at that time. “We are trying our best to control the activity as any quarrying or mining activity in the reserved forest area is banned and illegal,” the divisional forest officer of Narsipatnam, Mr Ram Mohan Rao told this correspondent.

Recently, Chintapalli police arrested 13 persons and seized semi precious stones worth Rs.3 lakh in their possession. It is learnt that Maoists are endorsing the illegal activity by collecting money from traders.