The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Mining leases to be given by Collectors

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Mining leases to be given by Collectors

Special Correspondent

Decision after complaints that tahsildars were issuing leases without proper survey

— Photos: P.V. Sivakumar

All smiles: Collectors K. Sunita of Nizamabad, A. Vani Prasad of West Godavari and K. Damayanti of Mahabubnagar, on the second day of the Collectors’ conference, in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: Leases for mining ores and minerals will hereafter be allotted by District Collectors in place of tahsildars.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah took this decision on the final day of the two-day Collectors’ conference here on Thursday following complaints that tahsildars were issuing the leases without proper survey and study, leading to litigations.

Significant development

The decision is significant in the backdrop of the controversy over iron ore mine lands allotted to the Obulapuram Mining Company in Anantapur district belonging to the family of Karnataka Tourism Minister G. Janardhan Reddy.

Briefing mediapersons on the deliberations of the conference, Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said it was resolved to make the general manager of the District Industries Centre, the convener of the district level task force committee to facilitate establishment of information technology-based industries.

Ranga Reddy, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Medak, Kurnool, Chittoor, Kadapa, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Guntur and Prakasam districts were identified for setting up food processing, fisheries, horticulture and minor forest produce industries using the sum of Rs 25 crore released to each district.

Scheme extended

Mr Rao announced extension up to March 31, the scheme to regularise illegal layouts in municipalities and municipal corporations.

As owners were unwilling to sell their lands for garbage yards in urban areas, a legislation would be introduced to overcome this difficulty.

Meanwhile, Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah said the government had decided to evacuate 122 of the 500 villages marked for submergence under various projects by June to impound water in some completed ones.

The 500 villages are spread over 16 districts where 33 projects are under construction.

The cost of the evacuation of 122 villages and extension of rehabilitation and resettlement package to the displaced families has been estimated at Rs 2,500 crore.

Monitoring panels

The Minister told reporters that monitoring committees constituted for Jalayagam projects would review implementation R&R package once a month.

Lift scheme

A decision has been taken to implement a lift scheme with the Godavari as the source to fill Kinnerasani reservoir to continue water supply to Kothagudem Thermal Power Station which faced water shortage now.

The lift scheme would be completed in two months.

It was also resolved at the meeting to modernise the Warangal airport at Mamanur by acquiring another 200 acres of land.

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