Withdraw GO on mining, warns YS Jagan

Chintapalli (Visakhaptnam), Dec 10:
Serving a stern warning to the TDP government against bauxite mining in the
agency areas, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has demanded the withdrawal of the GO which
permits the mining activity in the tribal land.

Addressing a large gathering in the
agency area, the Leader of Opposition had called the bluff of Chandrababu Naidu
on the bauxite mining and elicited the opinion of locals who were firmly
against the mining activity which will have environmental, health and other
hazards.

Chandrababu Naidu has written a letter
to the Governor in 2011 when he was in opposition stating that the state cannot
carry out bauxite mining as it is hazards to the adivasis and after coming to power
has written a string of letters to the Centre to get the second level of
clearance which formed the basis of the GO no 97 allowing the bauxite mining.

When there was strong resistance from
the tribals, he first feigned ignorance of the Order and later said that it
would be kept in abeyance. There could be no such practice like keeping a GO in
abeyance and we demand that the GO should be cancelled forthwith and we will
stand by the tribals and fight for their rights and see that the bauxite mining
is not carried out,’ he assured.

There was an attempt by YSR when he was
chief minister for bauxite mining but the decision was reversed and the
formalities were stopped at the secondary stage, as he respected public
opinion. But Chandrababu Niadu has no such respect for the sentiments of the
locals.

He has been blatantly telling lies that
gram sabha had given clearance to the mining even as the former sarpanch, who
belongs to TDP, has been categorically telling that no resolution was passed
and no gram sabha was held on the issue. Chandrababu Naidu has filled the white
paper with such lies and wanted to push through the issue, but we will not
allow this to happen as it affects the very existence of tribals.

Chandrababu Naidu is avoiding setting up
of Tribal Advisory Committee as 75% of the members should be tribal MLAs and
YSRCP has won 6 of the 7 assembly seats reserved for adivasis. He fears that
the proposal cannot be passed through the TAC, he said.

When Chandrababu Naidu was Chief Minister earlier, he had cooked up the books and tried to give the mining rights to a Dubai based company but the Centre had prevailed and it was stopped. Later he tried to blame YSR though it was stopped in the secondary stage.

 In 2011, YSR had died by that time,
Chandrababu Naidu wrote a letter to the Governor that bauxite mining should not
be carried out in the agency area as it would be detrimental to the environment
which would be contaminated affecting the people living in the agency areas.
After coming to power he made a U-turn.

 The Leader of Opposition has assured the
tribals that he would stand by them and fight against the bauxite mining and
demanded the Government to withdraw the GO permitting the mining activity in
agency areas.