The announcement of AP Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, here on Saturday evening that his Government would allow bauxite mining in Visakhapatnam district with the rider that the proceeds would be used only for the welfare of Girijans has triggered a row here.
Political parties, environmental activists and others came down heavily on what they call the volte face of the Telugu Desam Party on the sensitive issue.
The Chief Minister made the announcement while speaking at a function here on Saturday evening while participating in the function got up to celebrate the International Day of Indigenous People. He said his Government would allow the exploitation of the mineral wealth (bauxite) in the agency area in the Eastern Ghats of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts but the revenue would be "ploughed back solely for the benefit of the tribal people. Earlier, the Congress Government had sought to rob the mineral wealth of the Girijans in the Eastern Ghats to benefit a few vested interests. My Government would take up bauxite mining through a special system under the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA). The tribal areas would be developed in the eastern ghats with the revenue and there would not be any diversion."
The Chief Minister's statement met with opposition at the venue itself, as some Girijans wanted to meet the Chief Minister and register their protest. They were prevented by the police. Later, several organisations and political parties condemned the statement of the CM.
It may be recalled that the Congress Government under the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy had decided to take up bauxite mining in the Eastern Ghats of Visakhapatnam district under the AP Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) and there was stiff opposition from the tribals, all the opposition parties then, including Telugu Desam, and environmental activists. The Congress Government could not go ahead with it, though it made an announcement that the ore would be supplied to the Jindals and the Anrak company. Several Telugu Desam leaders participated in the anti-bauxite mining agitation then and Chadrababu Naidu himself backed it. Therefore, his decision now is being viewed as "a clear case of betrayal and ditching the Girijans and the general public after the elections".
Ch. Narasinga Rao, CPM leader, said the Chief Minister was "showing his true colours almost immediately after the elections. He had given categorical assurances at several places during the campaign that bauxite mining proposal would not be revived." The CPI and Congress leaders also condemned the move.
They said bauxite mining would ruin the ecology of the Eastern Ghats, destroy the livelihood of Girijans and bring several other problems in its wake. Environmental activist JV Ratnam gave a call to Girijans to brace themselves for another prolonged fight as "Mr Naidu seems to be intent on betraying the interests of tribals and non-tribals alike and ruining the ecology of the Eastern Ghats."