CHENNAI: Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan will be moving a resolution in the Assembly on Monday urging the union government to immediately cancel the tungsten mining rights granted to Hindustan Zinc Limited in Nayakkarpatti village in Melur taluk of Madurai district and not to grant any mining licence without the permission of the state government. The resolution was to be moved by Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Sources said the resolution is expected to condemn the union government since the mining rights have been given despite the concerns raised by the Tamil Nadu government and it was done without the permission of the state government, disregarding its objection.
Already, the chief minister has made it clear that the union government has granted mining rights although the area where mining is planned was already been declared a bio-diversity heritage site in 2022 since the location includes many historical monuments such as cave temples, Jain temples, Tamil Brahmi scripts, Panchapandavar beds and is also a habitat for endangered species of birds.
The chief minister, in his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pointed out that the union government giving rights to tungsten mining has created a sense of anxiety among people living in the area as their livelihood would be permanently affected.
The principal opposition party in the Assembly, the AIADMK, and the BJP are expected to put up strong contentions about this issue when the resolution comes up for discussion on Monday.
Besides, 10 Bills will be introduced on Monday while Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu will present the demands for further grants for the current financial year. Also, the House will adopt resolutions condoling the death of 15 of its former members and many well-known personalities who passed away recently.