Centre awarded tungsten mining project without consulting State Government: Vaiko

Vaiko accuses Centre of awarding tungsten mining contract without consulting State Government, vows to stop Hindustan Zinc in Madurai.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko has accused the Centre of awarding the tungsten mining contract in and around Arittapatti in Madurai district to Hindustan Zinc without consulting the State Government.

Addressing a protest demonstration organised by the party at Melur near here on Friday, the Rajya Sabha MP said that Chief Minister M. K. Stalin was kept in the dark about the tungsten mining.

Stating that the Chief Minister has assured that he would not allow tungsten mining in the area declared as Biodiversity Heritage Site at any cost, Mr. Vaiko added that he would not allow Hindustan Zinc into Madurai district.

Mr. Vaiko recalled his protests against similar anti-environmental projects like Sterlite Copper in Thoothukudi, Neutrino project in Theni district, Methane/Hydrocarbon extraction in Delta districts and said that he had fought tooth and nail on the streets and in the courts and successfully won against those projects.

He also recalled about how he mobilised thousands of farmers and conducted a series of protests for the Mullaiperiyar issue.

Mr. Vaiko gave confidence to the people of Melur region regarding stalling the tungsten mining project proposed on over 2,000 hecatres of land around Arittapatti by pointing out how the then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi withdrew a Government Order that allowed mining of granite in Yanaikkal hillock after he made a plea in the past.

The MDMK leader said that Arittapatti hillocks carried the history of 3,000 years of Tamils and also Jain monuments. The region had 72 waterbodies and over 200 natural springs and three check dams.