TRS netas sore over State giving nod for mining plan

Hyderabad: Several ruling party MLAs from the districts predominantly having agency areas with forest cover are finding it tough following the State Forest Department (SFD) clearances for the industrial activity.

According to the sources, the TRS MLAs are sharing their displeasure at the way the State government at the highest level is giving its nod to the SFD to give clearances for the testing to identify the mineral wealth in the Amrabad and Nallamala forest areas.

Speaking to The Hans India, sources in the SFD said that the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMDERO) had submitted its proposal in a revised format at the end of July, this year.

The details are given in the new format mentioning its plans for exploration to figure out the quantum of uranium available in the Amrabad forest area, which houses the Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR).

Clarifying on the in-principle clearance given earlier, a senior official pointed out," it has come up before the Forest Advisory Committee headed by the then forest minister Jogu Ramanna. However, objections were raised against the same."

However, the State government had prevailed to ensure clearance is given as it does not want to invite the wrath of the Centre at a time when it was seeking environment clearance from the Union Environment Ministry for the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).

Similarly, the survey and exploration activities for quartz in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district and similar activity for uranium in the Nalgonda district were also not going down well with the ruling party MLAs. Clarifying on this, a TRS people's representative said, "We cannot stage protests like the opposition parties against the clearances being accorded by the SFD for the survey and exploration activities.

But, any further clearances in case of ATR and Nallamala would sure to invite a backlash from the people in the agency areas and the civil society and tribal organisations. It will also have political ramifications putting us in the crossfire between the party, government and the people," he said.

Another leader said that according to the information that he has the State government has in principle has decided to follow an unspoken rule that it would give clearances from its side as far as the agencies, and institutions applying are either belongs to the Central or State governments.

It was following the same that the SFD had adopted to accord clearances to the proposals put forth by the Telangana Industries Department, State Mineral Development Corporation, AMDERO for exploration of uranium, quartz and iron wherever necessary in Adilabad, Mahbubnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Nalgonda districts.

Further, a ruling party MLA said, the SFD officials told us not to worry about the AMDERO project and possible mining for uranium.

Because, despite being the central agency and State government giving clearance, it will be impossible for it to execute the project as the forest areas are house to the tiger reserve and it needs approval from the Supreme Court of India.