Brushing aside the allegations made by the Opposition on “rampant illegal mining,” Minister for Power, Environment and Forest Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy has said the Department of Mines has bagged the third position in the country for its “consistent impressive performance.”
Hitting back at TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu for accusing the State government of plundering wealth, especially from the “indiscriminate mining” in Rushikonda, he maintained that all the activities were taken up as per the laid down procedures.
“Mr. Naidu is known for making a mountain out of a molehill. If there has been any deviation, it happened only during his tenure,” the Minister told the media here on Thursday.
Mr. Ramachandra Reddy said a majority of the mining licences for the Kuppam area were issued during the Congress and TDP tenures, while the YSRCP government had issued licences only for two mines.
“When the miners were found to be operating beyond the areas allotted to them, we serve notices and stopped the activities,” said Mr. Ramachandra Reddy.
The 75 mining areas in the State, which the TDP is claiming to be illegal, got licences during the tenure of Mr. Naidu, he said.
The Minister also brushed aside the allegations that permission had been accorded for mining at Ravvalakonda hills, where noted soothsayer Pothuluri Veerabrahmendra Swamy had made his famous predictions.
NGT fine
“Mr. Naidu seems to have forgotten the hefty fine of ₹100 crore slapped by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) during his regime for the illegal sand mining in the Krishna river,” said Mr. Ramachandra Reddy.
The Minister clarified that his department was constantly monitoring the mining activities with the help of satellite imagery and by forming regional vigilance squads.
