Madurai tungsten mining: Happy news on Thursday, says Annamalai indicating scrapping of project
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi after leading a delegation of local village heads to Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, Annamalai pointed out at the opposition to the project from locals in and around Melur in Madurai after a private firm won the bid in November last.
BJP state chief K Annamalai; Tungsten mining project
NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: Amid the stiff opposition to the over 4000-acre tungsten mining project in Tamil Nadu's Madurai, "happy news" from the Centre was likely on Thursday, BJP state chief K Annamalai said.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi after leading a delegation of local village heads to Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, Annamalai pointed out at the opposition to the project from locals in and around Melur in Madurai after a private firm won the bid in November last.
The local BJP leaders had immediately apprised Reddy and the project was halted.
On Wednesday, the delegation met the union minister with two objectives--- to thank him for halting the work and tell him that the project was "totally not required," Annamalai said.
"The village heads said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always been pro-farmer and protective of Tamil Nadu."
"A happy news to the people of Tamil Nadu, especially near Melur--the Nayakkarpatti-Vellalaptti tungesten block will be officially announced tomorrow," he said.
Reddy will meet the PM on the matter, Annamalai said, adding, "a very very happy news will come tomorrow." The union minister has given "assurance" on the matter to the visiting villagers.
"We have kept our word that mining won't happen.. tomorrow, official announcement will be made," the BJP leader added.
People in and around Melur have been steadfastly opposing the tungsten mining project.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly had in December last passed a resolution urging the Centre to immediately cancel the tungsten mining rights granted to Hindustan Zinc Limited.
Annamalai said that while the Geological Survey of India (GSI) had in November 2021 gave a report on the matter, the Centre later wrote to the state government on the issue.
In its reply, the TN government had even mentioned about the presence of a bio-diversity hotspot in the region but "never made a request for halting" the project, Annamalai claimed.