Former Indian union energy secretary EAS Sarma seeks independent investigation into illegal bauxite mining

Former Indian union energy secretary EAS Sarma has appealed for an independent investigation by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) into the alleged illegal mining of bauxite in East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts.

In a letter addressed to the principal secretary of Karikal Valiven on Sunday, June 21, EAS Sarma wrote that he had been trying to bring into the notice of the State Government that private individuals and companies were extracting bauxite in the guise of laterite. He said private miners in collusion with the local mining officials had been producing false analysis certificates to show that the bauxite they were extracting and exporting to alumina refineries were indeed laterite, in order to circumvent the restriction of bauxite mining only to public sector and tribal cooperatives as directed by the Supreme Court in the Samata Judgement years ago.

Mr Sarma also noted in the letter that any aluminous mineral ore containing more than 30 per cent aluminium is defined as bauxite.

The letter stated that the State Mines department had been granting leases for laterite mining, thus, allowing the miners to go scot-free. There had been many mining leases granted in both in Visakhapatnam and East Godavari, which actually involved illegal bauxite extraction, wrote Mr Sarma in the letter to principal secretary.