Bowing to huge pressure from tribal groups and Maoist threats, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government of Andhra Pradesh has put on hold its bauxite-mining plans in Visakhapatnam and Vizainagaram districts.
The state cabinet, which met in Vijayawada on Monday, deliberated on the issue with a fine tooth-comb and decided to first hold talks with local tribal leaders before taking any decision on mining in the hills -- considered sacred by tribals.
The cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed the AP Mineral Development Corporation (which was given the mining lease), not to apply for clearances and permissions from the Centre.
The U-turn on the bauxite-mining issue by the AP government occurred after several ministers, particularly those from the north coastal districts, pleaded with the chief minister not to move forward as many tribal village heads were apprehensive about pollution and displacement due to the mining. They also informed the chief minister of the death threats they were receiving from Maoist outfits.
The decision to back out comes in the backdrop of widespread public outrage and fears of past attacks -- mining company choppers attacked by arrows -- haunting the government. There are also reports that Maoist rebels have already taken advantage of the public anger and are rallying behind the tribals. Last month, Maoists abducted three members of the TDP from Chintapalle in the Agency area, and demanded that the AP government cancel mining plans.
Panchayat Raj minister Ch Ayyanna Patrudu said he has already received threats from Maoists and the police beefed up his security in wake of the threat.
"We have been asked to go slow on the issue and not to expedite permissions and clearances from the Union environment ministry. It is now certain that the state government does not want to move forward on bauxite-mining," said a senior official in the government.
Interestingly, the AP government was planning to involve local tribal leaders in mining by initiating negotiations with them. Naidu asked his ministers to counter the "propaganda" that the TDP government has been the initiator of bauxite-mining. He asked his ministers to clarify that the mining lease orders were originally issued during YS Rajasekhara Reddy's regime and it was the then Congress government that leased out bauxite-mining to private companies.
Source: The Times Of India
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