AP to follow mining laws, CM forced to reply to questions on bauxite mining

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Mar 17, 2013: Union panchayat raj and tribal welfare minister Kishore Chandra Deo pushed Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy into a tight spot on the bauxite mining issue during the latter’s visit to Vizag Agency on Sunday.

The CM had to clarify his government’s stance after Deo gave his opinion on bauxite mining during his speech at the ‘Tribal development summit’ where Kiran had announced many schemes for tribals.

Reddy had avoided referring to the bauxite mining issue during his visit to Vizag Agency in December. But on Sunday he clarified that the government will abide by the law of the land on mining agreements and will not go against it.

Last year, evoking the special powers vested with the Centre under Clause 3 of Schedule V to the Constitution, Deo had directed the state to cancel the agreements it had signed to mine bauxite, which is abundantly available in Vizag Agency.

Miffed at the lack of response of the state government on his directions, Deo had taken up the issue with PMO recently.

“I openly said that mining should not be allowed in Vizag Agency. The same was decided by the PM at a recent meeting. Now it’s up to the state to expedite the cancellation of the agreements,” said Deo, in the presence of the CM,  Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh and state tribal welfare minister P. Balaraju at the public meeting in G.K. Veedhi.

Deo, had also reportedly written to the Congress president last year, referring to the CM as ‘inefficient’ and not working for the party or the poor. “As far as bauxite mining is concerned, AP will not go ahead with the mining if it is against the law,” the CM clarified.

However, the reply was not specific, say environmentalists. “He could have straight away said that the state government would cancel the agreements it signed on bauxite mining instead of saying it would abide by the law and rule book,” said Samata coordinator G. Srinivas.

The APMDC, which was accorded mining licences is said to have submitted a report stating that its licences were given in accordance with the SC’s Samata judgement that a state agency can mine in scheduled areas.

Whereas, directives to the state government by Union tribal welfare minister raised the issue of the Alienation of Land Transfer Regulation (ALTR) society which prohibits a non-tribal from purchasing any land or even getting it on leases within the scheduled areas.

Another Union minister, Jairam Ramesh, who took part in the public meeting also reiterated the need to cancel the mining licenses and also gave a pat to the Kiran Kumar Reddy, saying state government stood ideal in implementing various welfare schemes and bringing development in backward regions.