Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy avoided committing himself on Sunday on cancellation of permits for bauxite mining in scheduled areas and only gave an assurance that the Government would not do anything that violates the law.

He toured G.V. Veedhi and other places in the agency (tribal) areas of Eastern Ghats in Visakhapatnam district on Sunday along with Union Ministers Jairam Ramesh and Kishore Chandra Deo, both of whom requested the Chief Minister to cancel the bauxite mining leases in the scheduled areas. They were speaking at the Giri Pragati Sadassu ( Girijan convention) at G.K. Veedhi. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Kishore Chandra Deo explained that the MoU signed on the bauxite mining in the agency area violated the provisions of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution and also the 1 of 70 Act. He urged the State Government to revoke the decision taken in error by the previous Rajasekhara Reddy government. In a recent meeting held by the Prime Minister, the issue was discussed and it was decided that the Union Ministry of Mines would be asked to revoke permits to non-tribals for mining in tribal areas. A controversy has been raging over the issue ever since the former Rajasekhara Reddy government took the decision to allow bauxite mining in the agency area of the Visakhapatnam district.

AP Mineral Development Corporation, it was stated, would undertake bauxite mining in the area and provide the ore to two companies - Jindals and Anrak - setting up alumina refineries in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts.

The Chief MInister launched road ambulances, school children fortnightly health check up facility and laid foundation stones for a number of schemes in the Agency area along with the two Union ministers. He laid the foundation stone for 962 km roads to be built at a cost of Rs 528 crore under the Centrally-funded Prime Minister Grameen Sadak Yojana. He promised Girijans that his government was committed to having the works completed by March 2014. He launched a fortnightly health check-up facility, Rajeev Bala Sanjeevani, an extension of the 104 service.

This service called 105 service, would have a team of doctors and paramedical staff, who would visit the tribal welfare schools in the State every fortnight and conduct medical camps for the students and provide medicines.

Two tribal gram panchayats in the State would get control over issue of transit permits for bamboo and non-timber produce. This would not only empower the Gram Panchayats but also help them earn revenue from the transaction, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said. They could earn up to Rs 1 crore.

>sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics