- Target:
- Hon'ble Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh
- Region:
- India
Chhattisgarth state is witnessing a rapid growth on industrial and mining sector with large mineral rich tribal areas being handed over to Corporates for captive mining purposes even at the cost of causing hardships to tribals and causing huge environmental losses to the state and its people.
Mining and more particularly Open Cast Mining causes huge environmental damages but in the name of development, the destruction is defined as necessary. Growing unrest in tribal areas is also a great concern.
Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh has stated time and again that no minerals will be allowed to go out of Chhattisgarh but will only be permitted for value addition within the state.
At a recently held seminar at the prestigious Constitution Club at New Delhi, organized by Nai Duniya, a national level Hindi newspaper, Chief Minister Shri Raman Singh is quoted as having said that not even a quintal of iron ore is allowed to go out of Chhattisgarh. What we understand is that he means to say that no minerals are allowed to go out of Chhattisgarh.
However, the situation is entirely different at the ground level. Huge quantities of Bauxite are regularly transported round the clock out of state by Hindalco and also by Vedanta group companies. Be it from their Samri or Menpat mines in Sarguja District or Daldali mines in Kawardha district.
When BALCO plant was closed for few months after the worst chimney disaster of its type in the entire world, huge quantities of bauxite were also diverted to Vedanta at their Niyamgiri plant in Orissa.
After the denial of the mandatory environmental clearances by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Chief Operating Officer Mr. Mukesh Kumar has also stated that they continue the productions with bauxite sourced from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. As such, it is no more a secret or any matter of investigation but needs action from the state authorities to ensure that no bauxite or for that matter any other minerals do not go out of state and are used for captive consumption only.
We, the undersigned, call on the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh to please ensure that no bauxite or for that matter any other minerals are allowed to go out of Chhattisgarh keeping in line with your public statements that mining rights will be given only for captive consumption.
You might know that large quantities of Bauxite are being transported out of state by Vedanta owned BALCO and HINDALCO to their plants in Orissa and Jharkhand.
You have also stated that you are committed to protecting our environment while keeping pace with our developmental needs and to create livelihood opportunities. Open cast mining of bauxite or iron ore or other minerals causes huge environmental degradation.
We, therefore request you to please take urgent steps to ensure that no minerals go out of state and strictly used for value addition within the state and also our environment is protected.
Thanking you and with warm regards.
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The Stop Transportation Of Bauxite Outside Chhattisgarh petition to Hon'ble Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh was written by Pravin Patel and is in the category Miscellaneous at GoPetition.