The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Bauxite mining: legal tangle upsets APMDC’s plans

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Bauxite mining: legal tangle upsets APMDC’s plans

Santosh Patnaik

It wants to supply ore to two refineries coming up near Vizag

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation’s (APMDC) bid to foray into bauxite mining is caught in a legal tangle, upsetting its plans to supply the ore to two refineries coming up at Rachapalli and Boddavara near Visakhapatnam.

While Anrak Alumina Ltd. has investment plan of Rs.9,000 crores for its alumina complex, Jindal South West Alumina Ltd. will set up a 1.4 million tone refinery at Boddavara in Vizianagaram district. Anrak, in which Ras Al-Khaiamah, a constituent of UAE, has major stake, will have its refinery in Makavarapalem mandal of Visakhapatnam district.

The National Environment Appellate Authority has posted the case challenging the clearance given for mining in Jerella block to supply the mineral to Anrak through the APMDC to February 23. The APMDC’s mining application to extract ore from Anantagiri is yet to get forest and environment clearance.

Two writ petitions filed by the CPI (M) in the Andhra Pradesh High Court were clubbed on Wednesday and a Division Bench gave the government two week’s time for filing a counter.

CPI (M) MP M. Babu Rao and Araku ZPTC member K. Surendra filed a petition in the appellate authority, accusing the government of not holding public hearing on October 3 in the affected villages. Instead, they alleged, the hearing was conducted at Chintapalle by suspending public and private transport and preventing tribals from attending it by creating a curfew-like situation.

Big fraud: Samata

Samata, an NGO fighting against mining in Scheduled Areas, was also in the process of seeking legal action to press for nullification of the October 3 public hearing.

“It is a big fraud and we are taking appropriate legal action,” said Rebbapragada Ravi, executive director of Samata.

Around 1,700 project-affected tribals had already petitioned the Central Government not to allow mining in the Scheduled Areas as part of a campaign by the AP Girijan Sangham.

“The environment clearance for mining is obtained under pressure notwithstanding the fact that there is no mandate from tribals in gram sabhas as per Panchayat Extension in the Scheduled Areas Act.

“Pattas have not been distributed to tribals cultivating forestlands in the affected hamlets as per the Forest Rights Act,” CPI (M) district secretary Ch. Narsinga Rao said.

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