Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Bauxite mining: Girijans barge into Collectorate

Special Correspondent

State dharna on Collectorate premises

VISAKHAPATNAM: A large number of girijans descended on the city on Thursday to protest against the proposed bauxite mining in the agency area of the district. The girijans gathered at Araku on Wednesday and reached the city by train.

From the railway station, they marched to the Collectorate under the banner of AP Girijana Sangham (APGS). After a brief altercation with the police on duty at the Collectorate, they moved into the Collectorate premises and staged a dharna.

Bhadrachalam Lok Sabha Member M. Babu Rao, CPI(M) district unit secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao, State president of APGS K. Bhushanam, State committee member Korra Balaram,, State secretary Killo Lakshmana Rao, MPTC of Sunkarametta B. Sundara Rao, China Labudu Sarpanch Killo Pitambar, several APGS and CPI(M) leaders of the agency area, participated in the dharna.

The charges

Addressing the participants of the dharna, Dr. Babu Rao pointed out that the Government was preparing the ground for bauxite mining in secrecy, avoiding all statutory requirements like conducting gram sabha meetings to elicit opinion of the locals, or obtaining permission from the Tribal Advisory Council and the National ST Commission.

Pollution threat

Bauxite mining and the process to convert bauxite into alumina would cause a great danger to the environment and destroy the forest, flora and fauna of the agency area and uproot the girijans. Mr. Narasinga Rao reiterated the party's support to the agitation by the girijans against bauxite mining. The girijan leaders wanted the tribals to continue their agitation till the agreement with the Jindal company was withdrawn. They asked the girijans not to allow officials or people's representatives into their villages.

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