Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek the exclusion of coal/lignite mining blocks’ auction in the state’s Cauvery delta region.
Chennai,UPDATED: Apr 5, 2023 04:16 IST
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in a letter to the prime minister, claimed that the state government was not consulted in the matter and the Union coal ministry took a unilateral decision.
By Pramod Madhav: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the exclusion of three coal/lignite mining blocks in the state’s Cauvery delta region proposed for auction.
The chief minister on Tuesday, in a letter to the prime minister, claimed that the state government was not consulted in the matter and the Union coal ministry took a unilateral decision.
This comes after the Coordination Committee of Tamil Nadu All Farmers Associations announced that it would hold a protest as the proposed mines would cause an environmental disaster if the auction were allowed.
“If allowed, the mining project would lead to desertification, full groundwater depletion, end to fertile lands and displacement of people,” PR Pandian, a farmers’ leader, was quoted by the news agency PTI.
The Chief Minister said that out of the 101 blocks put up for auction across the country, three are in Tamil Nadu. The three blocks — East of Sethiathope, Michaelpatti and Vadaseri — fell under the Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu, which is considered the rice bowl of the state, it added.
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Under Section 4(1) of the 2020 Act, “No person shall undertake any new project or new activity specified in the Second Schedule in the protected agricultural zone”.
The projects covered in the Second Schedule that are prohibited include “Exploration, drilling and extraction of oil and natural gas including coal-bed methane, shale gas and other similar hydrocarbons”.
The present tender conditions include the exploitation of coal-bed methane and hence are covered within the prohibition of the Tamil Nadu Protected Agriculture Zone Development Act.
“Had the State government been consulted prior to the issue of the notification, these issues could have been clarified and the unnecessary disquiet caused by the issue of the notification for auction could have been avoided,” said Stalin.
“Given the fact that valuable agricultural lands are involved and the food security of the people of Tamil Nadu is at stake, it would be appropriate if the three mining blocks in Tamil Nadu – Vadaseri, Michaelpatti and East of Sethiathoppe – proposed for auction in the 7th/17th tranche of auction are excluded from the auction process by issuing a corrigendum,” he added.
(With input from PTI)
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