Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan said on Wednesday that the Tamil Nadu government wanted to reserve its rights in the tungsten mining project in Madurai, instead of engaging in a futile communication with the Union Ministry of Mines.
Responding to the statement issued by the Union Ministry on Tuesday and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the Minister said, “As for why no objection was raised to the notification for auction [issued by the Union government], anybody who is conversant with the style of functioning of the present Union government will know that it is a futile exercise…”
The State government is aware that it has to grant the mining lease and, therefore, reserved its rights, he added.
Mr. Duraimurugan recalled that in his letter pertaining to the project, dated October 3, 2023, he had pointed out how the auctioning for mining by the Union Ministry was fundamentally flawed, and could lead to law and order issues.
He further pointed out that in a letter by the Commissioner of Geology and Mines, pertaining to the project, no land details were furnished. It was only brought to the notice of the Union Ministry of Mines that the Nayakkarpatti tungsten block had the biodiversity heritage site of Arittappatti. Despite this, the Ministry went ahead with the auction.
“Now the [Union] Ministry of Mines has admitted that while it could only auction, it was the State government that could issue the lease for mining,” the Minister said. He further said, “I am happy that after Chief Minister M.K. Stalin took up the issue with Prime Minister [Narendra Modi], the Ministry has decided to resurvey the land. We demand that it cancel the award of the mineral block to M/S Hindustan Zinc Limited…”
‘DMK’s lies exposed’
Earlier, Mr. Palaniswami had said the clarification issued by the Union government “exposed the lies of the DMK government.”
He posted on social media that Mr. Duraimurugan, in his letter to the Centre, had not opposed the project.
He questioned why the State did not raise objections for ten months after the tungsten block went for auctioning in February 2024.
Published – December 25, 2024 11:59 pm IST
