Objection futile; Tamil Nadu reserves right to lease tungsten project: Minister Duraimurugan

CHENNAI: Against the backdrop of the Union Mines ministry claiming that it did not receive any objection from the Tamil Nadu government regarding the Nayakkarpatty tungsten mining project between the floating of the tenders in February and finalisation of the tenders in December 2024, mines minister Duraimurugan on Wednesday clarified that the state reserved its right to lease the land for the project instead of raising a futile objection with the Centre.

A day after the Centre issued a statement faulting the TN government, Minister Duraimurugan, in a statement, said he has clearly pointed out in his October 3, 2023 dated letter to the union mines ministry "how the auction was fundamentally flawed by explicitly mentioning that it could lead to law-and-order situations, which only the state has to handle.”

Duraimurugan also expressed happiness over the Centre's decision to resurvey the project.

“In the letter of the Commissioner of Geology and Mines, no land details were furnished except bringing to the notice of the Ministry of Mines that the Nayakkarpatty Tungsten Block covers the biodiversity heritage site of Arittappatty. Yet the Ministry of Mines has gone ahead with the auction, knowing fully well that there is a biodiversity heritage site in the mineral block,” the minister said.

On the issue of the state not objecting to the auction notification, the minister reasoned, “Anybody conversant with the style of functioning of the present union government would know that it is a futile exercise.”

“The simple point is when the union government has no say in the land matter; when the law-and-order issues have to be managed by the state government only; and when the revenue accrues to the state government only, why did the Union government go ahead with the auction despite the objection of the state,” asked Duraimurugan and demanded the cancellation of the award to M/S Hindustan Zinc Ltd in the interest of the environment and the livelihood of thousands of people.

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