The Hindu Business Line : DAE plea to naxals on shifting machinery

THE Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has appealed to CPI (ML) People's War to allow it to shift equipment related to drilling from the sites in Nalgonda district.

In a statement here the Director of DAE's Atomic Mineral Directorate for Exploration and Research, Mr R.M. Sinha, said that the Department had completed and closed the uranium exploration work at Lambapur-Peddagattu area in the district.

"The retrieval of drilling accessories has just started in the area and major machinery like pumps are still lying at the Peddagattu site," he said.

Investigations were to be completed by the end of December last.

The Directorate is worried because the PW Naxalites burnt two drilling rigs and three vehicles at the Peddagattu site late last year. Work at the site has since been closed.

The Directorate's appeal came in the wake of PW asking the officials to return part of the equipment they shifted to K K Tanda recently.

Mr Sinha said some villagers informed the Directorate that PW Naxalites held a meeting at Peddagattu on August 17 and asked them to bring back all the material that was shifted to K K Tanda.

The PW warned of dire consequences if their demand was not met.

Appealing the Naxalites to let them to shift the material, he said the investigations at Lambapur-Peddagattu had been completed and closed.

"The Directorate is entrusted with the task of identifying the resources of atomic minerals by conducting surveys and investigations all over the country. In fact, out of more than 100 sites we carry out explorations, only a few would come to the stage of mining," he said.

Besides, this kind of activity would provide job opportunities to the local communities during the explorations.

"All these activities are aimed at country's growth, especially in the field of power generation," he said.

More Stories on : Terrorism | Power | Andhra Pradesh

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page