THANJAVUR/TIRUVARUR: Farmers and environmental activists have welcomed the official notification by the Union Ministry of Coal excluding three lignite blocks in the Cauvery delta region which earlier found place in the commercial auctions list of 101 coal and lignite blocks across the country.
As the details of the seventh round of commercial coal mine auction, which included Tamil Nadu’s Vadassery block, East of Sethiathoppu block and Michaelpatti block, came out on April 4 this year, farmers and activists opposed it pointing out that the blocks fell under the protected agriculture zone.
Various farmers’ outfits had staged protests and Chief Minister M K Stalin also shot off a letter to the prime minister urging to withdraw the notification.
On April 6, Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi tweeted that the three blocks will be excluded from auction. There was, however, disquiet among farmers as no official notification on it came out. Subsequently the coal ministry on April 25 issued a notification regarding exclusion of Tamil Nadu’s lignite blocks from auction. The ministry also uploaded a revised list, dated April 25. This came to the knowledge of farmers and activists on Thursday.
Sami Natarajan, the state secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, one of the outfits that spearheaded protests against coal mining in the delta region told TNIE that this was the result of the struggles of various farmers’ associations of the state. He also acknowledged the state government’s role in the withdrawal of the three blocks from auction. PR Pandian, the president of the joint movement of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, echoed Natarajan’s view.