The Andhra Pradesh Government has not yet taken any decision on bauxite mining in the tribal tracts of Visakhapatnam district in the Eastern Ghats and therefore "it is not right to politicise the issue, according to State Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu.
He was speaking here on Sunday at the official state-level celebrations of International Day of World Indigenous People organised by the Tribal Welfare Department. He took exception to Araku Valley MLA K. Sarveswara Rao staging a demonstration at the venue.
Without directly mentioning bauxite mining, the Minister said the State Government had not taken any decision on the issue. “No government will take any decision detrimental to the interests of the people, and the TDP Government is committed to the welfare of the tribals and it will not take any decision that will affect their lives,” he said.
State HRD Minister G. Srinivasa Rao said there were huge reserves of bauxite in the Agency area in the district and the Government would take any decision only after due consultation with the people.
The Telugu Desam party was in the forefront of the agitation in the past against illegal mining of bauxite in the Agency area for the benefit of some corporates, Tribal Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Babu recalled. The Government would not give up mining of natural resources in the Agency area to outsiders, he declared and lashed out at the previous Congress Government for "planning to hand over the mining of bauxite to corporates." The TDP would not resort to such moves, he assured the audience.