CHENNAI: Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Saturday said the reports that said that the Tamil Nadu government has given its approval for tungsten mining in Madurai district were wrong.
The minister also reiterated that he had lodged the state government’s opposition to tungsten mining vide his letter to the union minister on October 3, 2023.
“On witnessing the firm stand taken against tungsten mining in Madurai district and the protests by the people, the union government and certain opposition parties who engage in doublespeak are spreading canards that the state government had given its approval for tungsten mining. But the people are not ready to believe them,” Duraimurugan said in a statement.
The minister explained that when the union government conveyed the amendments made to the minerals policy regarding the auctioning of key minerals in September 2023, the state government had expressed its opposition.
However, the union minister for mining, in his letter dated November 11, 2023, rejected the contentions of the state government saying the amendments to the minerals policy have been made keeping in mind the requirements of the country and hence the state should cooperate in this regard.
Later, when the union government sought details about the lands in Melur area in Madurai, the state government pointed out that the zone falls within the bio-diversity heritage site.
However, disregarding the contentions of the state government, the union government completed the auction and awarded the licence to the Hindustan Zinc Limited, Duraimurugan said.