BHUBANESWAR: Even as Congress has thrown its weight behind tribals agitating against bauxite mining in Sijimali hills, party MLA Kadraka Appala Swamy, who represents Rayagada, was among the signatories advocating operationalisation of mines for development of the district.
The Rayagada MLA had signed a memorandum by the Intellectuals and Citizens Forum of Rayagada submitted to the chief minister through the district collector in the past.
Interestingly, Appala Swamy was a member of the 13-member Congress committee headed by Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka which visited Kantamal village on April 10 to show solidarity with tribal inhabitants against the alleged police action and support their opposition to the 2.98 km road being constructed by the district administration to create access to the hilltop reserve.
The memorandum had appreciated the government for giving Sijimali to Vedanta Limited and urged the CM to take strong action against those trying to mislead the people. It stated that Vedanta has engaged Mythri Infrastructure for mines development and it is working for welfare of the people in Rayagada district for the last 20 years. The company is not only involved in management of mines, but has taken up welfare work in other areas also, it added.
The memorandum mentioned that certain organisations from outside the state and inside the district are opposed to the development of mines. “These organisations are influencing the local people in Maoist ideology and forcing them to oppose the project by creating a false fear of Maoist action against them,” it added.
However, neither the Congress MLA nor OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das was available for comment.