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Minister for campaign to spread awareness on enviroment

Staff Correspondent

Joint survey of mines by departments of Forest and Mines and Geology

BELLARY: The Minister for Forests and Environment, Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, has said that he is in favour of organising a special campaign to create awareness on the effects of mining on the environment.

Mr. Nagamarapalli, who toured Sandur and Hospet taluks and visited iron ore mines, was speaking to presspersons at the Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd. plant at Toranagal on Tuesday.

He said he will take up the matter with the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh. Mr. Nagamarapalli wanted mining companies to adhere to the norms to protect the environment. He said: "If mining companies fail to comply with instructions in two months, the Government will order their closure."

He said that a joint survey will be conducted by the Forest and Mines and Geology departments to fix the border of mines. He said that the survey will be completed within three months and the report forwarded to the Government. Based on the report, steps will be taken to initiate action against companies violating the norms.

Mr. Nagamarapalli, while stating that action would also be initiated against officials who have been encouraging illegal and unauthorised mining activity, urged officials of all departments to discharge their duties with responsibility. He said that mining in leased forestlands fetched Rs. 64.92 crores last year.

With regard to allotting the Kumaraswamy mines as a captive mine to Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd., as suggested by the Minister for Revenue, M.P. Prakash, Mr. Nagamarapalli said no such proposal had come before the Government. He said the proposal may not have been placed in the wake of a court stay obtained by the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), against withdrawing the lease of the Kumaraswamy Mines allotted to it.

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Minister for campaign to spread awareness on enviroment

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