Maoist threat: House panel cut short visit to Vizag Agency

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, April 9, 2013: Fearing the Maoists and resistance from anti mining groups, members of the legislative committee on petitions had to cut short their trip to Vizag Agency tracts.

The committee was scheduled to visit parts of Vizag Agency for an on the spot study of the proposed bauxite mining areas in Anantagiri and GK Veedhi Agency mandals on April 8 and 9 based on the petitions it received on the proposed mining. However they could visit only Anantagiri on the way to Araku on Monday and returned to the city last night.

On Tuesday they were supposed to visit Jerella division in GK Veedhi Mandal, a known Maoists hotbed.

All party forum which was launched in Agency region to protest bauxite mining had called for a bandh in Jerella and Sapparla divisions protesting committee’s visit. They have also vowed to stop the committee members at any cost entering their region. It may be worth mentioning here that JC Kala committee too which was appointed by MoEF to study the ground situation of the bauxite mining areas before according second phase of  clearances had to take a aerial view from a chopper in 2011 December as similar resistance was showed by the local tribals. 

The committee members were also scheduled to hold a review meeting with revenue, mining and ITDA officials at Araku on Monday morning. But it was held here at government circuit house in city on Tuesday.   

The committee chairman, Mallu Batti Vikramarka at the review meeting with the officials found fault with the APMDC for reaching into agreements with private firms on supply of ore without getting requisite clearances for mining bauxite from MoEF. 

The visit of the committee also raised many an eyebrows. The same committee earlier held detailed discussions on the MoUs signed by APMDC with private companies, in Hyderabad on January 8, 2013. The discussions were in response to a petition filed by former legislator Ch Babu Ramesh of Rampachodavaram through Telugu
Desam MLA, A Revanth Reddy.
Then the committee unanimously concluded that the proposed bauxite mining would harm the interests of the state while immensely benefitting the two private companies.
“We are here to know the ground situation, gather information, listen to the objections as we have received petitions on the proposed bauxite mining issue. But the situation is very tensed in Agency tracts with the bandh call given by the locals. Not to hurt their feelings we had cut short our programme without going to certain parts. We will submit a detailed report to the assembly keeping in mind all the sentiments, feelings of the locals attached to the region,” said deputy speaker at state assembly and petitions committee chairman, M Batti Vikramarka.