Indian Legislative Council rocked over bauxite mining issue

The Legislative Council was rocked on Thursday over the government’s stand on the bauxite mining in Visakhapatnam district and its refusal to give an assurance to cancel the mining lease given to the APMDC to supply ore to Anrak Company.

The issue raised by M. V. S. Sharma to know if the Union Ministry of Tribal Welfare directed the State not to allow bauxite mining in Visakha Agency and steps initiated by the State snowballed into a slanging match when the Minister for Mines Galla Aruna Kumari said they requested the Centre to reconsider its directive.

‘No orders for cancellation’

She denied that the State had received orders for the cancellation of the lease but said that the government would abide by the Constitution and mining rules even as the Opposition alleged that the APMDC functioned like a ‘broker’ for the private company.

Leader of the House C. Ramachandraiah said that the State had no option but to follow the directive of the Centre.

With an unrelenting Opposition raising slogan against mining, the Chairman adjourned the House.

When the House reassembled, the Opposition said that the State had set aside the absolute powers of the Centre on lands in the Fifth Schedule and it was a constitutional issue. Leader of Opposition Dadi Veerabhadra Rao also sought to know on what grounds the State asked for reconsideration when two Union Ministers, Kishore Chandra Deo and Jairam Ramesh, said that mining was banned for 20 years.

The arguments continued when Mr. Veerabhadra Rao produced a copy of the letter from the Centre directing the government to cancel the APMDC’s lease. Anrak had constructed a building at Makavarapalem despite the controversy and it showed its confidence in the State government doing its bidding, he said.

Mr. Ramachandraiah’s appeal that the opposition should be patient as the ball was in Centre’s court, only made them stage a dharna again in the well.

When the Chairman’s directive to the minister to hold a meeting with floor leaders to clarify matters did not defuse the situation, he adjourned the House for the day.