Chennai, Dec 8 (UNI) The main Opposition AIADMK will target the ruling DMK on various
issues including the recent Cyclone Fengal, as the two-day Tamil Nadu Assembly session
will begin tomorrow.
Tomorrow, the House will adopt a resolution opposing and urging the Centre to cancel
the Tungsten mining rights awarded to Hindustan Zinc at Arittapatti in Madurai district.
The Opposition are gearing up to raise key issues including the recent Cyclone, which
it alleged was not properly handled by the government resulting in massive flooding in
several districts, the alleged meeting Chief Minister M K Stalin had with Adani Group
Chairman Gautam Adani, which the government had already denied it and no PPA was
signed with the conglomerate.
After adopting condolence resolutions against former Members and various personalities,
a Government resolution will be adopted against the Tungsten mining project at Arittapatti
which is a notified Bio-Diversity Heritage site.
The resolution will also urge the Centre not to award any mining rights to any firm without
the consent of the concerned State Government.
After transacting other businesses on both the days including tabling of Supplementary
demands, the House will be adjourned sine die on December 10.
It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had already opposed the mining following
protests by the farmers and locals and wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging
him to cancel the award of Tungsten Mining rights in Madurai District and instruct the
Union Ministry of Mines to desist from floating any bids for mining without the consent
of the concerned State Government.
Mr Stalin drew his attention to the grim situation in Madurai district due to the Union
Government’s award of tungsten mining rights and sought his immediate intervention
to cancel it.
"We had already raised our concerns on such auctioning of mining rights of critical
and strategic minerals, through the letter dated October 3, 2023, from TN Minister
for Water Resources and Natural Resources", he said.
But unfortunately, the Union Minister of Parliamentary affairs, Coal and Mines in his
letter dated November 2, 2023 had rejected them, mentioning that the auction of
critical minerals by Ministry of Mines cannot be withheld, in the larger interests of
the country.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Mines has declared Hindustan Zinc Limited
as the preferred bidder of Nayakkarpatti Tungsten block (Critical and Strategic
Mineral) under Tranche IV on November 7, 2024.
This Tungsten Block comprises of Kavattayampatty, Ettimangalam, A.Vallalapatty,
Arittapatty, Kidaripatty and Narasingampatty villages, Mr Stalin said.
Among them, Arittapatti is a notified Bio-Diversity Heritage site and is famous for
archaeological monuments including cave temples, sculptures, Jain symbols, Tamil
Brahmi Scripts and Pancha Pandavar stone beds, he pointed out.
Observing that any mining activity will cause irreparable damage to these sites, the
Chief Minister said in addition, commercial mining in such densely populated villages
will definitely affect the people in these villages.
This has caused immense anguish to the people, who fear that their livelihood may
be lost forever.
Hence, the Government of Tamil Nadu would never allow any such mining to be
undertaken in these areas, he asserted.
"Considering the above situation, I urge you to instruct the Ministry of Mines to cancel
the award of tungsten mining rights given to Hindustan Zinc Limited in Madurai District.
I also request you to instruct the Ministry of Mines to desist from floating any bids for
mining without the consent of the concerned State Government", he urged Mr Modi
in the letter.
UNI GV 1720