MAKING A POINT: Telugu Desam Party leader and Chodavaram MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao showing documents on the bauxite mining issue at a press conference in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. — Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam.

VISAKHAPATNAM: Commercial Taxes Minister Konathala Ramakrishna maintaining silence was surprising when the farmers and Girijans were greatly worried over the proposal to exploit bauxite in the agency area and set up an alumina refinery and cogeneration plant near S. Kota, said Chodavaram MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao here on Saturday.

Mr. Ramakrishna had led an agitation in the past demanding water from Raiwada reservoir should be used for agricultural fields, but now the Jindal company planning to establish the alumina refinery would like to draw water from the same reservoir. Also the bauxite mining, the alumina refinery along with the cogeneration plant would have devastating effect - pollution wise and also leading to drastic shortage of water in future.

Public debate

Hence Mr. Ramakrishna, who was mainly responsible as the Minister from the district, should explain in a public debate how the Girijans and farmers would not be affected and from which source the refinery would draw its water. If he did not do so, he must resign, the TDP MLA said at a press conference held on the eve of the public hearing at Boddavara in S. Kota mandal of Vizianagaram district on June 4.

TDP, which opposed bauxite mining, felt that the immediate concern was diverting water from the Raiwada reservoir as it would adversely affect the farmers as well as residents of Visakhapatnam city, he said.

Assessment

The Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, during his Padayatra as leader of opposition in the past and in the present position, assured that the Raiwada water was for farmers but the Government was now denying the facility to farmers, he said.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao questioned the Government why it was holding the public hearing in a hurry and wanted to take over lands from the farmers when the clearance for bauxite mining was not received.

The environmental assessment impact report running to 190 pages was in English and a 10-page gist of it was prepared in Telugu but was not available widely to the people.

Here also, an attempt was made to confuse people. The English report said the water would be drawn from Raiwada reservoir while Telugu version stated it would be from Yeleru reservoir.

The TDP would attend the public hearing on June 4 and conduct an agitation with other political parties if the Government failed to withdraw its decision both on mining and refinery, he said. It would also launch an agitation against the RAK company setting up an alumina refinery and cogeneration plant in Munagapaka mandal, the TDP MLA added.

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