T.N. govt. to move resolution in Assembly to cancel tungsten mining rights awarded in Madurai district

The Tamil Nadu government is set to move a special resolution in the State Legislative Assembly on December 9 insisting that the Union government cancel the tungsten mining rights awarded to Hindustan Zinc Limited in Madurai district.

The Tamil Nadu government is set to move a special resolution in the State Legislative Assembly on December 9 insisting that the Union government cancel the tungsten mining rights awarded to Hindustan Zinc Limited in Madurai district.

The special resolution would also press the Union government not to conduct the auctioning of mining rights without the consent of the respective State governments. The agenda of the upcoming Assembly session, scheduled to commence on December 9, was finalised on Monday (December 2, 2024).

It may be recalled that last week, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cancel the tungsten mining rights awarded to the private company in Madurai district. He had underlined that the mining block included a biodiversity heritage site, in Arittapatti village, and that any mining activity in the region would cause “irreparable damage.”

Mr. Stalin had also pointed out that commercial mining in densely populated villages would “definitely affect the people in these villages.” He had said that it caused “immense anguish” to the people, who “fear that their livelihood may be lost forever.”

According to the agenda finalised by the House’s Business Advisory Committee for the upcoming Assembly sitting, the State government would present the First Supplementary Estimates for 2024-25 in the House on December 9. The debate and reply on the First Supplementary Estimates for 2024-25 is scheduled to be held the following day.

During an interaction with reporters, Assembly Speaker M. Appavu said the next sitting of the Assembly would be for two days – December 9 and 10.

On the first day of the sitting, the House is scheduled to adopt condolence resolutions over the passing of Sri Lankan leader R. Sampanthan, former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, former Army chief General S. Padmanabhan, veteran Communist leader Sitaram Yechury, bishop Ezra Sargunam, industrialist Ratan Tata, former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P. Shankar, and Murasoli editor Murasoli Selvam.