The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Public hearing rejects Anrak alumina refinery

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Sunday, Jun 08, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Public hearing rejects Anrak alumina refinery

G. Narasimha Rao

Participants’ reaction shocks Congress; women break down

Rs. 8,000-crore aluminium plant proposed in Makavarapalem of Visakhapatnam district
Massive police force deployed in view of stiff opposition to the project

— Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

voice of dissent: Agitated women protest at a public hearing conducted by the APPCB at Rachapalli village in Makavarapalem mandal of Visakhapatnam district on Saturday.

RACHAPALLI (Visakhapatnam dist.): Participants of the public hearing conducted here on Saturday by the AP Pollution Control Board on the Anrak Alumina Limited’s Rs. 8,000-crore alumina refinery, aluminium plant and co-generation plant proposed in the Makavarapalem mandal, overwhelmingly rejected the project.

The reaction from the participants came as a shock to the Congress party as it took a lot of pains in a bid to get villagers’ consent during the public hearing and deployed a massive police force, including two Vajra vehicles, and Greyhound constables, in view of the stiff opposition to the project.

Many villagers, who accepted monetary compensation for their lands, totally rejected the project at the public hearing.

People cheered the speakers opposing the project and shouted down Congress leaders, Zilla Parishad chairperson Gorle Ramamurthy Naidu and APCC member Suryanarayana Raju when they tried to support the project.

Telugu Desam MLA Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, TDP rural unit president and MLA M.V.S. Sarma, former Minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, CPI district president J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy and CPI (M) district secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao, slammed the project, the land acquisition and the ‘undemocratic manner’ in which the public hearing was being held.

“There is no sanctity for the hearing. Why should lands be acquired for the plant when there is no permission for mining bauxite in the agency area?” they contend.

Anguish

Three women from the villages were in tears while explaining their anguish over parting with their lands. After their speeches, Joint Collector M. Veerabrahmaiah, who presided, declared that the public hearing concluded. Officials did not, however, make the mandatory announcement of how many persons spoke in favour of the project and how many against, Human Rights Forum secretary V.S. Krishna said.

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