INTUC against opening up mineral sector

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, NOV. 4. The pro-INTUC Titanium Complex Employees Congress (TCEC) has opposed the moves to hand over mineral mining to the private sector, at the cost of profit making State-owned undertakings and national security.

# The position of the TCEC, headed by the senior Congress leader, Mr. Vayalar Ravi, has given a new dimension to the current row over moves of the State Government to promote private sector in mineral mining in the 22 km coast between Neendakara and Kayamkulam.

# The TCEC, in a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony, and the Industry Minister, Mr. P.K. Kunhalikutty, expressed apprehension that the entry of private sector in mineral mining would result in precious minerals finding their way to international pigment producers, and hit at the heart of the profit-making Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML). The memorandum pointed out to the possibilities of launching several long-term projects in the public sector to utilise the rare minerals found on the Kerala coast.

# It said that the profits made by KMML and the Central Government undertaking Indian Rare Earths, were notable. The moves to hand over mineral mining to the Cochin Minerals and Rutiles was unjustified especially in the context of the fact that the sector afforded enormous opportunities for viable projects in the public sector. Pawning away precious minerals to the private sector was against national security. The possibilities of monosite, a raw material to produce nuclear grade uranium, finding its way to neighbouring countries cannot be ruled out, the memorandum said.

# The memorandum said that deposits of minerals like ilmenite were depleting. An international meet of pigment manufacturers held in Chicago in 1993 had pointed out that only Kerala would have high grade ilmenite deposits in the world by the year 2008. It alleged that international pigment majors were making huge plans to corner the unique mineral deposits of Kerala. Therefore, it urged the UDF Government not to open up the mineral mining sector to the private sector.

# The TCEC's opposition comes close on the heels of the allegations made by two prominent LDF leaders, Mr. N.K. Premachandran, MP, and Mr. P.C. George, MLA. In a related development, Mr. Premachandran sought certain clarifications from the Chief Minister, mainly related to the responses of the officials in the Mining and Geological Department.

# In a letter to the Chief Minister, Mr. Premachandran wondered whether the views expressed by the Mining and Geology Director was the official policy of the UDF Government. He said that he owed an explanation from the Government as it was his moral right to expect one as a representative of the people. He recalled that the Indian Rare Earths (IRE) had been forced to cancel a global tender to privatise mining because of Kerala's opposition. The moves on the part of the Kerala Government now to take the initiative for privatisation has led to suspicion about the involvement of some higher-ups in the Government.

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